There is more to France than Paris! One day I hope to visit more of France, like the town of Giverny, where you’ll find Monet’s house and gardens. Imagine walking through the very gardens that inspired Monet’s most famous paintings! Wouldn’t that be lovely? You can visit the following link to learn more…Monet’s Home and Gardens.
While I haven’t yet had the chance to visit many other beautiful places in France besides Paris, we did have the pleasure of taking a day trip to Versailles.
Chateau de Versailles
The beautiful Chateau de Versailles is only about a twenty-minute train ride from Paris. Most of us have all learned about the French Revolution in history lessons growing up. But until I saw first hand how lavishly the king and queen lived, I didn’t understand the idea of killing, much less the beheading, of King Louis XVI and the famous Queen herself, Marie-Antoinette. It’s amazing at how traveling to places makes history come alive! Travel can make even someone with the smallest interest in history facts, like myself, excited to learn about why things once were!
This palace has over 2000 windows, 700 rooms, and 67 staircases (for a child, that’s an endless amount of banisters to slide down!). The Versailles Palace has its very own Royal Chapel and Royal Opera House.
We roamed through room, after room, after never ending room. We saw the Queen’s Apartments. Marie-Antoinette herself gave birth in this room, while on lookers watched to make sure there was no question to the heir’s legitimacy! Could you imagine?
We walked through the King’s Bedchamber where on the balcony, October 6, 1789, Louis XVI and the Queen stood before the crowd as the royal family was forced to leave Versailles for Paris.
We saw many other rooms, but my personal favorite was the famous Hall of Mirrors! Grand celebrations were held here, such as full-dress and masked balls given to celebrate princely marriages. I mean, what girl doesn’t like a room full of mirrors, am I right?
This Palace is huge! Makes one wonder…if the Royals would have cared more about the people of France and less about living extravagantly, could they have lived longer and more purposeful lives? Here’s a picture of the layout that is in our visitor guidebook and just a few more photos taken inside.
Versailles Gardens
The gardens are absolutely stunning! We got our work-out wondering through these gardens, in fact, to give you a better idea of the size…I read that the entire grounds of Versailles measures larger than the Island of Manhattan!
You’ll find beautiful fountains like the Fountain of the Apollo and beautiful picturesque settings tucked away like The Baths of Apollo.
Grand Trianon
If you wonder back far enough you’ll find the Grand Trianon, the Petit Trianon, and even a cottage built for Marie-Antoinette…the Queens Hamlet.
Napoleon himself chose to reside in the Grand Trianon instead of the main Palace of Versailles…maybe he thought it felt more like home?
I hope you enjoyed reading about our day trip to Versailles…click here for more info and ticket sales. You can read more about my travels to France here…Top 10 reasons I want to go back to Paris!
Have you been to France? Where in France do you want to visit and why? I would love to hear from you…comment below! Just click on the black bubble just below to the right. Remember Travel’s A Dance Away…TADA!
Versailles is such a lovely place. I saw it in May when everything was in bloom and I loved it. I wished to be taken back in time!
Ahhh! I hear you loud and clear! Versailles is such a magical place! Hope you can visit again soon!