Versailles Attractions
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Versailles (pop. 86,400), once the splendid residence of the French kings, is now chief town of the département of Yvelines. The town's main traffic artery is the broad Avenue de Paris, which meets the Avenue de Saint-Cloud and Avenue de Sceaux in the Place d'Armes. To the south of the Place d'Armes is the Salle du Jeu de Paume (the jeu de paume was a ball game similar to tennis), built for the king and the court in 1686, in which the National Assembly met in 1789. Farther south is the 18th century Cathedral of Saint-Louis. West of the Place d'Armes, in Rue de l'Indépendance-Américaine, are the former Grand Commun (by Mansart, 1682), now a military hospital, and the handsome Bibliothèque Municipale.
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Château de Versailles
Château de Versailles was built for Louis XIV, who turned this once small hunting lodge into a palace. It was later expanded, and in all some 36,000 men were employed in the building of Versailles.
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Salon de Vénus
The Salon de Vénus at Versailles displays the decor of the era, with marble walls and columns, and antique style statues. Have a look up to see the painted ceilings.
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Versailles Park
Versailles Park covers over 800 hectares. It was created by André Le Nôtre and is the pinnacle of French landscaping of the 17th C. The gardens feature strong geometric forms, an expression of dominance over nature.
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Château de Versailles, Versailles
Versailles Park, Versailles
English Garden, Versailles
Château de Versailles, Versailles
Versailles Park, Versailles
Château de Versailles, Versailles
Versailles Park, Versailles
