Palace of Versailles (Château de Versailles) Uncovered: A Complete Guide from the Hall of Mirrors to the Trianon

Château de Versailles | Introduction

Château de Versailles is located in the town of Versailles, about 17 kilometers southwest of Paris. It is France’s most famous palace, epitomizing the grandeur of French history, art, and landscape design.

Originally a hunting lodge built by Louis XIII in the 1620s, Versailles was transformed by “The Sun King” Louis XIV from 1661 onward into a grand palace-city over nearly half a century. It now boasts more than 700 rooms, the magnificent Hall of Mirrors, and symmetrically designed gardens. In 1682, Louis XIV officially relocated the French royal family and central government to Versailles, making it the exemplar of European court art and ceremony, and marking the peak of absolute monarchy in France.

After the French Revolution in 1789, the royal family left Versailles and the palace fell into neglect. In the 19th century, Louis-Philippe converted it into the Museum of the History of France, opening it to the public. It witnessed major historical events such as the 1871 coronation of the German Emperor in the Hall of Mirrors and the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 that ended World War I. Major restoration efforts in the 20th century, aided by the Rockefeller Foundation, revived its former glory. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979, Versailles now attracts over ten million visitors annually who come to experience the essence of Baroque architecture, 17th-century French art, and dazzling court culture.

Château de Versailles | Transportation & Accommodation

Located approximately 20 kilometers southwest of central Paris, Versailles is relatively easy to reach. There are several public transportation options from the city:

• RER C Suburban Train: The most common route is the RER C line to the terminal station “Versailles – Château – Rive Gauche,” which takes about 30–45 minutes from the city center. From there, it’s a five-minute walk to the palace. Make sure your ticket covers Zone 4. The RER C line has multiple branches, so be sure to confirm your train is heading toward “Versailles Château Rive Gauche.”

• SNCF Suburban Trains: France’s national rail service also offers trains to Versailles. If you're staying in southern or western Paris, consider the N line from Gare Montparnasse to Versailles-Chantiers. Alternatively, take the L line from Gare Saint-Lazare to Versailles-Rive Droite. Both stations are about a 15-minute walk from the palace.

For convenience, you can book day tours that include round-trip transportation from Paris, admission tickets, and audio guides.

If you want to “rush in at opening time” to avoid the crowds, consider staying overnight in Versailles, particularly in the historic districts of Saint-Louis or Notre-Dame, both within a ten-minute walk of the palace.

Château de Versailles | Tickets and Practical Information

Opening Hours

Versailles is divided into several main visiting areas: the Palace, the Gardens, the Grand Trianon, and the Petit Trianon & Queen’s Hamlet. The main Palace includes the Hall of Mirrors, King’s Grand Apartments, Queen’s Apartments, Royal Chapel, and Opera House. Note that the Palace is closed on Mondays and during the low season (November–March), while the gardens remain open year-round. The Trianon estates open at 12:00 noon daily.

Ticket options

Several ticket types are available. Regardless of your choice, it’s highly recommended to book in advance and reserve a time slot for Palace entry, as on-site queues can be very long.

• Palace Ticket: Includes access to the main Palace, temporary exhibitions, and the gardens on non-fountain show days. It’s ideal if you're visiting on a weekday or non-show day. Visitors under 18 can enter the Palace free of charge with valid ID.
• Passport Ticket: Grants access to the entire estate: the Palace, gardens, Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon, and Queen’s Hamlet. This is the best value if you want to see everything, including fountain shows or night garden events. Note: You may only enter the Palace once per day, but you can re-enter the gardens and Trianons.
• Gardens Ticket: Required on specific days with musical fountain shows or fireworks.

If you have the Paris Museum Pass, it can be used to redeem a Palace Ticket.

Itinerary Planning

A visit to Versailles usually requires at least half a day, but a full day is recommended. Start early and arrive before opening time to visit the Palace first. Mornings are busiest, so reserve a morning slot online. The main Palace tour follows a fixed route and typically takes at least two hours.

For lunch, you can dine at the Palace’s restaurants or have a picnic in the gardens. After lunch, explore the expansive gardens and walk to the Latona and Apollo Fountains—this takes at least 30 minutes.

In the afternoon, visit the Grand and Petit Trianons, which open at noon. Walking from the Palace to the Grand Trianon takes about 30 minutes. You can also take a mini-train. Spend 30–60 minutes at the Grand Trianon, then head to the Petit Trianon and Queen’s Hamlet. Allocate about 30 minutes each. The Trianon areas close at 18:30 in peak season and 17:30 in the off-season.

Château de Versailles | Highlights

The Main Palace (Château)

Upon exiting the train station, simply follow the crowd across the street and you’ll soon see the Palace’s golden gates and vast front courtyard.

The main Palace is the heart of the Versailles estate. The first thing visitors see is the Cour d’Honneur, a black-and-white marble courtyard that served as the main entrance for the king and his court. The surrounding U-shaped wings showcase intricately carved columns, window frames, and golden roof embellishments—all hallmarks of Louis XIV’s grand architectural vision, projecting a sense of majesty and perfect symmetry.

From here, visitors enter the Palace interior. The usual tour route includes the King’s and Queen’s Grand Apartments, the Hall of Mirrors, the Halls of War and Peace, and sometimes the Dauphin’s and Princesses’ apartments, which are open occasionally.

King's Grand Apartments

From a young age, Louis XIV understood that power lies in display. He deliberately expanded a modest hunting lodge into a luxurious palace to centralize his court and isolate the nobility from the unrest of Paris. Versailles was not just a residence—it was a theatrical set, crafted to affirm that the King stood above all.

The King’s Grand Apartments lie along the Palace’s central axis and include seven interconnected rooms, each named after a Greco-Roman deity: Hercules, Abundance, Venus, Diana, Mars, Mercury, and Apollo. Each symbolizes a royal virtue—fearlessness, wealth, beauty, strategy, and ultimately, the sun god Apollo, symbolizing Louis XIV as the divine ruler who governs all, like the sun.

Every wall and painting was crafted to serve as a “textbook of kingship.” Any official or foreign dignitary walking through these rooms would instantly grasp the ideology of divine monarchy.

Just past the Apollo Room, you'll find the King’s Bedroom, the symbolic center of Versailles, directly aligned with the Hall of Mirrors. It was the most private and symbolic space of the Palace. The deep red, gold-threaded wall tapestries and ornate canopy bed embody grandeur.

If Louis XIV were born in the modern era, he would no doubt be a genius in the world of influencers. He choreographed his every move into a courtly spectacle, fully leveraging court rituals to reinforce royal authority. Each morning, he held a rising ceremony accompanied by courtiers, and at night, a similarly elaborate bedtime ceremony. During the morning ritual, attendants and maids would wait by his bed, ready to present garments at the slightest signal. The bed was positioned directly opposite the doorway, allowing courtiers to clearly witness the king's daily routines during the morning and evening ceremonies. This arrangement of “making private life public” inspired both reverence and dependence among the nobility toward the king.

The king's morning and bedtime rituals were key opportunities for nobles to compete in displaying their devotion. To make a name for oneself at Versailles, one had to arrive early outside the king's bedchamber and secure a spot in one of the three adjoining rooms. There, they would wait for the moment he sat upright in bed, eager to be the first to hand him a garment or offer a greeting. Missing this moment could mean losing any chance to meet the king again. Through these rituals, Louis XIV not only created an atmosphere in which all eyes were constantly fixed on him, but also stripped the nobles of their autonomy in their own regions. They were compelled to remain at Versailles throughout the day, unable to consolidate power in their local strongholds.

Hall of Mirrors

Exiting the King’s Bedroom and rejoining the main tour route, visitors enter the Palace’s most iconic space: the Hall of Mirrors.

Measuring approximately 73 meters long, 10.5 meters wide, and 13 meters high, the hall features 17 large arched windows on the garden side and 17 matching mirrors on the inner wall—comprising over 400 individual mirrors. The ceiling is adorned with a series of paintings by Charles Le Brun glorifying Louis XIV. Bohemian crystal chandeliers hang above, each holding 24 candle arms. At its peak, the hall was filled with silver furniture and ornaments, flaunting France’s wealth and power.

This space served as Louis XIV’s primary stage for propaganda, designed to reflect and magnify his divine image. Sunlight flooded in, bounced off the mirrors, and created a luminous aura around the King.

The Hall of Mirrors is also the setting for major historical moments: In 1871, Kaiser Wilhelm I was crowned here as Emperor of the German Empire. In 1919, the Treaty of Versailles ending World War I was signed in this very room.

Queen's Apartments

On the opposite side of the Hall of Mirrors lies the Queen’s Apartments, symmetrically aligned with the King’s. While the King’s space emphasized mythology and grandeur, the Queen’s emphasized elegance, femininity, and private life.

The route includes the Guard Room, Antechamber, Queen’s Bedroom, and Private Study. The decor is refined and graceful, befitting royal women as figures of reverence.

The queen's bedchamber was much more understated compared to the king's, featuring refined and elegant décor. Nevertheless, the queen was revered like a mythical guardian goddess. Several French queens resided in this room over the years, and during the reign of Louis XV, the queen also had her own morning ritual. According to tradition, when the queen gave birth, both nobles and members of the public were allowed to witness the event, symbolizing the continuity of the royal bloodline.

The most famous resident here was Marie Antoinette, wife of Louis XVI. She had her own morning ritual, and her bedroom became a stage for significant royal events—such as childbirth witnessed by the public, reinforcing the legitimacy of royal bloodlines.

Marie Antoinette’s reputation suffered heavily due to scandals like the Affair of the Diamond Necklace in 1785. Though possibly unaware of the fraud, her lavish image was already condemned by the suffering public.

One hidden door in her bedroom led to a side dressing room—this was the door through which she escaped to the King’s chambers when revolutionaries stormed the Palace in 1789.

Museum of French History

Stretching about 402 meters long, the Palace has over 2,300 rooms and more than 2,100 windows. While touring the Palace, visitors pass through the Museum of French History galleries, which were established by King Louis-Philippe in 1837.

The Museum of French History was established by King Louis-Philippe of the July Monarchy. A member of the Bourbon-Orléans branch, he became king following the July Revolution of 1830 and abdicated during the February Revolution of 1848. Emphasizing that he "belonged to the nation rather than to the royal family," Louis-Philippe sought to reconnect the people with the nation's history through a series of symbolic cultural policies. One of his most emblematic initiatives was the founding of the Museum of French History at the Palace of Versailles.

In 1837, he transformed the north and south wings of the palace into the museum, shifting Versailles from a "symbol of the old monarchy's luxury" into a "temple of national memory." He gathered significant paintings, reliefs, and sculptures from museums and churches across France, organizing them in a chronological layout—"one gallery per century." This approach presented key events in French history, spanning the Middle Ages, the Crusades, the Renaissance, the Revolution, and the Empire.

The history gallery begins by introducing the transformation of the palace from a hunting lodge into a royal residence. It showcases architectural development plans, models, and reliefs of Versailles, along with a collection of marble statues and portraits of successive kings. Some sections also display representative paintings from the era of Napoleon I and the French Empire.

In addition to telling historical stories through paintings and reliefs, Louis-Philippe also incorporated two sculpture galleries into the museum's displays. Countless plaster reliefs, carvings, and statues adorn the space with intricate details that highlight the opulent elegance of French aesthetics.

The northern sculpture gallery focuses on statues of prominent figures in French history, collected primarily in the early 19th century. Visitors can find representations ranging from Saint Louis to Napoleon. The southern sculpture gallery, by contrast, presents a mixed collection of replicas and original works from the Classical and Renaissance periods, allowing visitors to experience France’s artistic legacy firsthand through three-dimensional works.

Dauphin’s and Princesses’ Apartments

Within Versailles' architectural layout, the Dauphin (Crown Prince) and Princesses lived adjacent to the King and Queen’s central suites, occupying slightly more private and modest spaces.

The Dauphin’s Apartments are located along a corridor east of the King's Grand Apartments. This proximity ensured his involvement in royal ceremonies, while the location offered a degree of personal seclusion. His suite included a guard room, antechamber, bedroom, study, and private dining room. Nearby, the Dauphine’s (Crown Princess) apartments had a similar structure but with an additional dressing room.

These suites reflect 18th-century royal lifestyle and court etiquette, as well as the gender roles and family expectations of the time.

The Princesses’ Apartments, located in the north wing, housed Louis XV’s three unmarried daughters—Madame Adélaïde, Madame Victoire, and Madame Sophie. Each had her own set of rooms with a personal study used for reading, music, and literary activities. These elegant yet restrained spaces provide insight into the private lives of royal women beyond their ceremonial roles.

Gardens of Versailles

Located directly west of the main Palace, the Gardens of Versailles span about 800 hectares and represent the pinnacle of 17th-century French formal garden design.

Immediately behind the Palace lies the Parterre d’Eau (Water Parterre)—two rectangular pools flanked by bronze statues inspired by classical mythology, and perfectly trimmed geometric flowerbeds. Louis XIV took great pride in the gardens, even writing his own “Guide to the Gardens of Versailles.” Every plant, statue, and fountain was meticulously placed under his supervision.

Beyond this lies the Latona Fountain and the iconic Apollo Fountain. In midsummer, when sunlight is strongest, Apollo’s chariot—drawn by four bronze horses—rises from the water, symbolizing the Sun King's divine energy. Unfortunately, during the winter, these fountains are turned off.

The gardens were also used as performance stages. On weekends and holidays, Musical Fountain Shows synchronized music with the fountain jets in a baroque spectacle.

West of the fountains is the Grand Canal, a 1.5-kilometer cross-shaped waterway used for royal boating parties. Around it are fifteen bosquets (groves), each with a unique theme and story, designed for leisure and theatrical events.

Grand Trianon

The Grand Trianon is about a 30-minute walk through the gardens from the main Palace, or a short ride by mini-train (approx. €6.50 one-way).

The Trianon estate features a rustic, pastoral architectural style, sharply contrasting with the grandeur of the main Versailles palace. Historically, Trianon was originally a small village near Versailles. Louis XIV was captivated by its tranquil scenery and, in 1687, commissioned the royal chief architect to construct the Grand Trianon.

In contrast to the lavish opulence of the main palace at Versailles, the Grand Trianon is smaller in scale and refined in style, built primarily from pink marble and surrounded by geometric gardens and spacious colonnades. Louis XIV commissioned this retreat to escape the rigid formalities of court life. Upon its completion, the palace was mainly used by the king and his mistress, Madame de Montespan, as a private haven to enjoy intimate moments away from the burdens of court etiquette.

The ground floor of the palace features open arcades and rooms, with colonnades on the garden-facing side that connect the various chambers, creating a seamless blend between interior and exterior spaces. Notable rooms include the Hall of Mirrors, the Queen’s family drawing room, and the Music Room. Since the 19th century, the palace has undergone multiple renovations.

During the reign of Napoleon I, the Grand Trianon was restored in 1810 to serve as a spring residence. As a result, parts of the interior were updated with elements of the "Empire style." This includes the presence of sturdy leather sofas, furniture with sleek metallic lines, and walls adorned with battle-themed paintings by French artists of the period.

The gardens of the Grand Trianon are designed in the French formal geometric style, featuring numerous walking paths, elegant fountains, and tree-lined avenues. These meticulously arranged spaces offered the royal family a serene setting for relaxation and contemplation. Among the highlights within the garden is the famous sculpture known as the "Waterside Dining Table."

Petit Trianon & Queen's Hamlet

Located about 300 meters northeast of the Grand Trianon, the Petit Trianon is a smaller neoclassical palace known for its elegant and harmonious proportions.

Originally built by Louis XV for Madame de Pompadour, the project was completed after her death and briefly occupied by Madame du Barry.

The later resident of the Petit Trianon was Queen Marie Antoinette, who moved in at the age of nineteen in 1774. At just fourteen years old, she had been married into the French royal family as part of a political alliance, becoming the wife of Louis XVI. Overwhelmed by the burdensome court formalities and rigid etiquette, she found palace life stifling. Every day, from her morning rising ceremony to her nighttime bedtime ritual, had to be performed in front of hundreds of courtiers.

For the young Austrian princess, accustomed to a more relaxed atmosphere, this environment felt oppressive and difficult to endure. With the approval of Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette eventually moved into the Petit Trianon, seeking relief from the rigid constraints of court life.

She remodeled the Petit Trianon to suit her taste, decorating the interiors with pastel tones, delicate moldings, and luxurious fabrics. The first floor includes the Grand and Petit Salons, and a dining room with soft hues and gold accents. Upstairs, the Queen’s bedroom, dressing room, and study were designed for peace and solitude.

Between 1783 and 1786, Marie Antoinette commissioned architect Richard Mique to build the Queen’s Hamlet just north of the Petit Trianon. Styled like a Norman village with thatched cottages, a mill, dairy, barn, vegetable gardens, artificial grotto, and pond, it was intended as a pastoral fantasy.

The Queen often wore a shepherdess outfit, made butter, fed animals, and hosted private gatherings here. However, the public saw this as an extravagant play-world, especially during times of national hardship. The Hamlet became a symbol of royal disconnection and indulgence—fueling discontent and the eventual downfall of the monarchy.

Despite its controversial history, the Hamlet remains one of the most enchanting and poetic corners of Versailles. As you look over the pond and forested surroundings, you might imagine the Queen barefoot, enjoying her fleeting escape from courtly burdens.

Château de Versailles | Dining

Angelina Tea House

Located near the ticket office, Angelina Tea House is one of the rare prestigious pastry salons outside Paris. Though seating is limited, scoring a window spot offers views of the Palace gates and a luxurious tea-time atmosphere.

Their most famous offerings include the rich Chocolat Chaud à l’Ancienne (Old-Fashioned Hot Chocolate), paired with the signature Mont-Blanc cake or Paris-Brest. The Lemon Tart (Tarte au Citron) and Croissant, especially with coffee, are also delightful.

Further reading

• More Paris, capital of France posts
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