Château de Versailles

The Sun King's Palace

Address:

Motorway A13 - (place d'Armes)
78000 - Western Suburbs
Paris

Nearest Bus or Train:

RER: Versailles-Chantiers, Versailles-Rive Gauche

Open Hours:

Château: Oct-Apr : 9a-5p Tu-Su, May-Sep: 9a-6p Tu-Su, Grand and Petit Trianon: Oct-Apr: 10a-12:30p, 2p-5:30p Tu-F, 10a-5:30p Sa and Su, May-Sep: 11a-6:30p Tu-Su

Tired of Paris, the Sun King (Louis XIV enjoyed likening himself to Apollo, God of the arts, peace and the sun!) commissioned architects Louis le Vau and Jules Hardouin to build the château of Versailles in 1668, on the site of his father's small hunting lodge. It became the largest palace in Europe, accommodating up to 20,000 courtiers at a time. Charles Le Brun, the painter, designed the interior, whose highlights include the Royal Apartments and the Hall of Mirrors. The Grand Trianon (1687) and the Petit Trianon (1762) are also in the park. The former, built in stone and marble, housed Louis XIV's mistress, whilst the latter, a small manor house, was home to Louis XV's mistress. Admission: Château EUR7, Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon EUR5.

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