Guided Tour: Palace of Versailles

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The Palace of Versailles is beautiful! It was such a fun and memorable tour during our time in Paris. I learned so much history throughout the tour as well. The company we went through to schedule this tour was great! I loved that they picked us up at our hotel, transported us to the Palace of Versailles, then brought us back to our hotel! Our tour guide was also a highlight of the tour.

History of The Palace of Versailles

The future Louis XIII built a small hunting lodge on a nice piece of land where he could stay the night and rest. He became fond of the area, and eventually began the construction of what would become the basis of the Palace of Versailles. Construction lasted from 1631 until around 1634. Louis XIV fell in love with the palace and wanted to expand it. He is the one that is known for the beautiful and extravagant palace. It was in 1661 when he began the first construction work on the palace. Throughout the rest of his life, until 1715, the palace was worked on and expanded. The location went from a simple hunting lodge to a grand palace that held grand parties and entertained those of the upper class.

After the death of King Louis XIV in 1715, the Palace of Versailles was abandoned for several years. Around 1722, King Louis XV returned to the Palace of Versailles. King Louis XV did major work and renovations on the palace during his time there. He died at the palace in 1774.

The Palace of Versailles has seen many grand parties and entertainment. The Palace is now a beautiful tourist attraction for those visiting Paris and other areas nearby.

Our tour of the Palace was amazing. I could only imagine the beauty of the architecture, paintings, and gardens. It was so much more than I ever imagined being able to see it in person. We got to see and learn so many things about it that we did not know! The beauty radiates from inside the palace to the magnificent gardens outside.

If you would like more information on the history of the Palace of Versailles, please visit their website.

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Touring the Palace of Versailles

When we first arrived at the Palace of Versailles, and we saw this gate, I knew we were in for a grand tour. This gate is made of gold, and it is absolutely beautiful. It sets you up for what you will see inside because the inside is just as grand. The detail in this gate is gorgeous.

This gate and the courtyard behind it is the place where you come out at the very end of the tour.

The area we entered the palace had this beautiful cobblestone entryway. I love that you can tell it was laid by hand hundreds of years ago. It is the original cobblestone entryway from the late 1600s.

After we entered the palace before the tour began, we had to go through metal detectors and have our purse and bag scanned. My husband made sure to bring all of his camera gear, and they did not like the tri-pod stand (LOL). Luckily, they let us put it in a locker, and we went back for it after the tour (just a little funny to add to this post!).

I will start by saying we had an amazing tour guide. She was knowledgeable, funny, and we had a great time with her.

The tour guide provided us with headphones, and we all tuned in to the same station on a handset. By doing this, we were able to hear the tour guide talking throughout the entire tour. The tour was very crowded, and it would have been difficult to hear her the entire time without the headphones. This also allowed our group to separate at times and allowed us to take pictures when we wanted. I wanted to take pictures of everything!

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Inside the Palace of Versailles

Our tour guide taught us about the history of the Palace of Versailles and how it came to be the grand palace it is today. We only toured a few of the rooms in the palace because there are 2,300 total rooms in the Palace of Versailles. All of them have beautiful artwork, luxurious decor, statues, chandeliers, gold accents, and hand-painted ceilings.

From the pictures, you can see that everything is beautiful and extravagant in The Palace of Versailles. Every room we went into was beautiful from the top to the bottom. Several chandeliers remain in the palace are the originals. Other chandeliers are replicas, but you cannot tell a difference. The picture above is from the Hall of Mirrors which is one of the most famous rooms in The Palace of Versailles.

We toured several rooms in the palace including, the War room, Peace room, and the Hall of Mirrors. You can learn more about these rooms and what they symbolize, including other rooms in the palace here.

The Gardens

The gardens outside of the Palace of Versailles are just as grand and extravagant as the palace itself!

The gardens are a work of art. They are filled with beautiful shrubbery, flowers, fountains, and statues. There is also a Grand Canal that leads up to the garden at The Palace of Versailles. It is a beautiful place to stroll through and enjoy the scenery. I can’t imagine enjoying the early morning sunrise in a place like this!

Each of the fountains that are located throughout the gardens at The Palace of Versailles is symbolic. Each of them tells a story. To learn more about the fountains check out their website. I love how everything throughout the palace and the gardens has a story to tell, and that they are symbolic of something from history.

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We had an amazing time touring the Palace of Versailles! It was wonderful seeing all the beauty and extravagant artwork and decorations in the palace. I hope this inspires you to visit someday! If you are considering doing this, I highly recommend it.

If you are unable to visit, there is a really cool option to see it virtually via the website. You can check that out here!

I would love for you to follow me on social media and see all the fun trips that my husband and I take in the future.

Until Next Time,

Catherine