Versailles is synonymous with the extravagant gilded palace bearing its name. Take the time to explore the rest of this interesting town.
Before the palace was built, Versailles was an ordinary small French village. As work got underway on the royal abode in the 17th century, the nearby town was given a makeover to mirror the palace’s opulent style. The old village was demolished to make room for the Notre-Dame and Saint-Louis districts, where large mansions and grand churches were installed.
Make your way through the stately Notre-Dame district, built at the order of Louis XIV. Highlights include the Théâtre Montansier, the Church of Notre-Dame and the Musée Lambinet. Look for theKing's stables, home to the Academy of Equestrian Art and a carriage museum that houses the ostentatious royal carriages of the Versailles monarchs. While here, visit the bustling Notre-Dame Market complex to find fresh produce and snacks.
Don’t leave without visiting the Palace of Versailles. This glittering architectural masterpiece is the town’s star attraction. Next to the palace entrance lies La Cour des Senteurs, a courtyard lined with four perfume boutiques and a museum dedicated to the history of perfumery in Versailles. Step into nearby Potager du Roi, a famous garden that once grew produce for the royal kitchen. Walk along the lawns past fruits and vegetables cultivated using traditional techniques.
Before you visit, check the event listings at l’Opéra Royal de Versailles and book a ticket to see an opera production. This stunning Baroque venue was originally built to celebrate the wedding of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI.
Versailles is located about 13 miles (21 kilometers) outside Paris. Use a connecting train from Paris to Versailles Rive Gauche station or Versailles Rive Droite station. Both stations are a 15-minute walk from the palace. The palace is closed on Mondays and during major holidays. But even without the palace, there’s still enough here to give you a taste of the royal high life.
![The Palace of Versailles, or simply Versailles, is a royal château in Versailles in the Île-de-France region of France. It is also known as the Château de Versailles. When the château was built, Versailles was a country village; today, however, it is a wealthy suburb of Paris, some 20 kilometres southwest of the French capital. The court of Versailles was the centre of political power in France from 1682, when Louis XIV moved from Paris, until the royal family was forced to return to the capital in October 1789 after the beginning of the French Revolution. Versailles is therefore famous not only as a building, but as a symbol of the system of absolute monarchy of the Ancien Régime. Tourist attraction and art exhibition site The Fifth Republic has enthusiastically promoted the museum as one of France's foremost tourist attractions. The Public Establishment of the Palace, Museum and National Estate of Versailles, a French établissement public à caractère administratif, and Château de Versailles Spectacles organized a Versailles exhibition of the modern art of Jeff Koons in 2008. Six of the works on display came from "the vast private collection of François Pinault, France's wealthiest art collector." In 2008, official Versailles figures stated that nearly five million people visit the château, and 8 to 10 million walk in the gardens, every year [Wikipedia.org]](https://images.trvl-media.com/place/553248635212957794/35937388-9258-4782-ba74-086ffe8fa050.jpg?impolicy=fcrop&w=350&h=192&q=medium)
