Versailles – the most stunning castle in the world

Throughout the centuries it has been the theater of many schemes, plots and affairs. I’m going to tell you about those stories and how they made Versailles what it is today. Versailles – the most stunning castle in the world.

Until Louis the XII’s reign, Versailles was just a hunting lodge where the king and his court would not often go. It was not until Louis the XIV decided to settle his court his that the castle went under strong construction work.

Louis the XIV’s superintendent Fouquet had a magnificent castle, Vaux-le-vicomte. The king couldn’t stand one of his subordinates having a nicer castle than him – the king had delusions of grandeur. What he did then was put Fouquet into a jail to punish him for having something better. Then he employed the same architects, the now so famous Le Notre for the gardens, Le Brun for the decoration and Le Vau for the architecture.

The court was then first established in Versailles on May 6th 1682, starting the golden age of the castle. Every king after him would leave a trace of his reign on the castle, keeping the castle at the latest trends in matters of architecture and ornaments.

What is now called “castle of Versailles” is actually a composed of several castles: the main castle and the castles of the Trianon – the big and the small one, where Marie-Antoinette used to live when she wanted to get away from the sometimes to heavy rules and from the always watching eyes of the ladies.

Therefore, if you have time I recommend you take either the “Grandes eaux musicales” Passport or the “Jardins musicaux” Passport or just the basic “Chateau de Versailles” Passport, which includes the 3 castles, the exhibitions and the gardens. Seeing everything makes going a full day tour but it is really worth it. Take the time to wander around in the gardens to enjoy the waterworks of the fountains.

How to get there: take the RER C to Versailles Rive Gauche (be careful not all trains are going there). You can also use the SNCF train from Paris Montparnasse or Paris Saint Lazare. Here you can fine the schedules for the train www.transilien.com.

Enjoy!