Our plan for June 15th was to visit the Palace of Versailles (Château de Versailles), which was roughly 20-21 km (13 miles) from our apartment. The weather was very comfortable for sightseeing high of 73⁰F and a low of 62⁰F.
There are many sightseeing tours from Paris to Versailles, but I thought it would be more fun to go on our own. We would take one subway and one train.
We started out with breakfast at La Boulangerie Parisienne, the bakery next to the Cardinal Lemoine Metro station. My grandchildren each had an All-Chocolate Muffin (Muffin Tout Chocolat) for €2 each, and I had a pastry with raisins for €1.50. They were all delicious.
Boulangerie Parisienne
After eating our yummy breakfast, we went down into the subway station. We took Line 10 two stops eastward to the last stop on the line, Gare d’Austerlitz (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gare_d'Austerlitz), which is both a Metro station and a train station. (“Gare” means “train station” in French.) The station was built in 1840 and is named after a town in Austria where, in 1805, Napoleon I defeated a larger army of enemies united against France.
The station is one of six large Paris terminus stations. It is the start of the Paris-Bordeaux line and also handles trains to Madrid and Barcelona in Spain. It is used by about 30 million passengers per year. It was much busier until the high-speed TGV trains serving southeastern France began operating from Gare Montparnasse.
The train we wanted to take was on the C5 branch of the C Line (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RER_C ), which was operated by the RER (Reseau Express Regional - Regional Express Network). The C Line has seven branch lines, one of which, the C5 branch, goes to Versailles - Rive Gauche, the station closest to the Palace. Another branch, the C8 goes to a station called Versailles - Chantiers, which is nowhere near the Palace.
Once we arrived at the subway station of Gare d’Austerlitz, we walked to the part of the station which serves trains. There, I found a ticket window and bought three round-trip (allez-retour) tickets (billets - pronounced “beeyay”) on the C Line train to the Versailles - Rive Gauche - Chateau de Versailles station. The round trip tickets cost €6.10 ($8.78) each. However, when they issued the tickets, they issued two one-way tickets per person instead of one round-trip ticket.
(A person not speaking French could easily buy the correct tickets by writing the words “billet allez-retour à Versailles Rive Gauche s’il vous plait” on a piece of paper, with the number of tickets needed in front of the words. For more than one ticket, write “billets” instead of “billet.”) There are also ticket machines selling the tickets, but I felt more comfortable buying the tickets at the ticket window.)
In searching for a restroom, we found the Relais Toilettes on the upper floor of the train station near the Grandes Lignes (Main Lines). These are pay toilets which are located at major train stations. The ones at the Gare d’Austerlitz €0.50 are operated by an attendant to whom you pay €0.50. These rest rooms were very clean.
The train departed from Platform (Quai) A. Next to each platform is a large white letter on a blue background indicating the platform name. Platform A was the farthest to the left facing the trains. All trains to the Versailles - Rive Gauche station are named “VICK” trains.
At the time we were there, the trains were running every 15 minutes. Our tickets were for any train rather than for a train at a specific time. We took a train at 12:31 pm. The train had two levels. We sat in the upper level of the last car. The ride was smooth, but not particularly interesting. Much of the line was either underground or below ground level. There were a couple of small towns visible along the way. We arrived at Versailles - Rive Gauche at 1:10 pm.
The Versailles - Rive Gauche train station did not have rest rooms, so our first stop was the McDonald’s across the street from the station. The rest rooms there were very clean and free. (There are over 1,000 McDonald’s in France.)
It is very easy to get a street view of the route from the train station to the Palace by going to Google Maps, typing “McDonald’s, Versailles, France,” and using the street view to follow the route described below.
The Palace was only a couple of blocks from the train station - about a 5-minute walk. We walked in a northeasterly direction (a right turn out of the train station) on Avenue du Général de Gaulle to the first intersection - Avenue de Paris. The avenue was a wide commercial street with shops and hotels on our left and a beautiful town hall (Mairie de Versailles) on our right. The shops on the left appeared to be primarily souvenir shops. Also on the left was a small, unattractive commercial plaza that was open on one side and surrounded on three sides by shops and a cafe. The cafe had many outdoor tables.
We turned left and immediately came to the town’s tourist office. There I picked up a free map of the town and a free French and English guide book about the town.
We then continued the short distance up Avenue de Paris to the Palace. The avenue was about eight lanes wide, and lined on both sides by two rows of trees. We did not see shops on this street. One of the buildings we passed was the National School of Architecture. As we approached the Palace, we passed a mime who was dressed as an Egyptian mummy.
The Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Versailles & http://en.chateauversailles.fr/homepage) is magnificent both outside and inside. It is one of the largest palaces in the world (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World's_largest_palace). The Palace grounds encompass 2,014 acres and it has 2,000 acres of gardens and woods. The size of the building itself is 721,206 square feet.
The Palace started as a hunting lodge for King Louis XIII. He ordered its construction in 1624. His son, who later became the Sun King, Louis XIV, played there as a boy. As King, Louis XIV decided he wanted to move the court out of Paris to take more control of the government from the nobility and to distance himself from the population of Paris. He settled on Versailles. In 1661, he ordered that the hunting lodge be expanded into a palace. The court was officially established at Versailles in 1682.
Construction of the Palace involved four separate building campaigns during the period 1664-1710.
In addition to the main palace, there are two smaller ones on the grounds - the Grand Trianon (Large Trianon) and the Petit Trianon (Small Trianon). Louis XIV used the Grand Trianon to relax and get away from the strict etiquette of the main palace. It also served other occupants. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Trianon).
The smaller Petit Trianon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petit_Trianon) was built in 1762 by order of Louis XV to serve his mistress, Madame de Pompadour. When Louis XVI became king in 1774, he gave it to his wife, Marie Antoinette.
The main Palace has undergone many internal changes over the years - some dramatic , such as during the period of the French Revolution, when many of the furnishings were sold. (During the late 20th Century, considerable efforts were made to find and repurchase many of the furnishing that had been sold.)
Several important treaties have been signed at Versailles. Many American know that the treaty ending World War I was signed there. However, many do not realize that two treaties relating to the Revolutionary War were signed there.
On September 3, 1783, three treaties ending the Revolutionary War and other hostilities were signed in France. A treaty between the U.S. and England was signed in Paris. One treaty between France and England, and another treaty between France and Spain were signed at Versailles.
Toward the front of the Palace on the left as you face the Palace from the Place d’Armes, the street closest to the Palace is called the Street of American Independence (Rue de l’Independence Americaine).
The Palace has two main floors - the ground floor and the first floor (second floor in U.S. terminology). Only about one third of the Palace is open to visitors - the beautiful chapel, the famous Hall of Mirrors, the King’s Bed Chamber, the Queen’s Bed Chamber, the Gallery of Battles, a number of rooms called Salons - such as the Salon of Apollo, and the apartments of the Dauphin, heir to the throne. You can also visit the gardens, the Grand Trianon, and the Petit Trianon. There is an interactive floor plan of the Palace at http://en.chateauversailles.fr/templates/versailles/map/MapMain.php. The plan shows the sequence of the rooms to visit. Click on “Inside the Palace” and then on “Ground Floor” and “First Floor.”
There are a couple of gift shops, a book shop, a restaurant, a snack bar, rest rooms, etc. Free audio guides in a number of languages are available. To read about various facilities available at the Palace, see the following page at the official web site of the Palace (http://en.chateauversailles.fr/prepare-my-visit-/single/services).
The Palace can be very crowded. It receives millions of visitors per year. I have seen vastly different numbers quoted - three to ten million. The day, we were there was not bad - probably because it was in the middle of the week and because we had arrived just before 2 pm. The Palace is closed on Mondays. It is best to check the official web site for changes in schedule, such as early closings.
There are many types of tickets, and there is no admission charge for children under 18 and for European Union residents under 26. Tickets can be purchased on-line. For complete details, see http://en.chateauversailles.fr/index.php?option=com_cdvfiche&idfp=80D389B6-10AE-8C50-3AC2-98E5A0FD725F. In our case, I used our Museum Pass, so I did not have to bother with tickets.
Our Visit to the Palace
As we looked at the Palace from the Avenue de Paris, our view was marred by two sets of huge, rusty-looking metal arcs. They had not been there when we visited in 2006. I later discovered that this was an exhibit of the work of famous French sculptor Bernar Venet. The arcs were to be displayed there between 1 June and 1 November, 2011. While these arcs might work in some other setting, we felt they were completely out of place in front of the Palace.
The Arcs - Ugh!
The street that runs in front of the Palace at the end of Avenue de Paris is Avenue Rockefeller. It is named after American John D. Rockefeller, Jr., who, after World War I, donated large sums of money to the restoration of many major French buildings, including the Palace and the Chateau de Fontainebleau.
Once we passed the arcs, the view of the Palace itself was much nicer than in 2006 because the view then was partially obstructed by renovation work.
A Partial View of the Front of the Palace
At the rear of the second set of rusty arcs was a statue of Louis XIV on horseback.
The arcs and the statue were at the front of a broad, deep plaza called the Place d’Armes. The Palace is at the rear of the Place d’Armes. From the statue of Louis XIV, we walked a couple of hundred feet through the front part of the Place d’Armes and came to a fence with a gate. After passing through fence, we walked another 300-400 ft. toward the Palace.
Toward the rear of the Place d’Armes, we saw the entrance to the ticket office on the left. It was just in front of a decorative gold-colored fence. Since we had the Museum Pass, we walked inside the entrance building, and bypassed the ticket windows. We quickly went through security, where the items we were carrying were checked.
We started our tour at the large and beautiful royal chapel. We looked at it from the ground floor then walked up the staircase to the first floor. There we had another view of the chapel.
Ground Floor View of the Chapel
First Floor View of the Chapel
I think it was in this area that we came across a small gift shop. I purchased a Fleur-de-Lis (or Fleur-de-Lys) tie bar for my collection. The Fleur-de-Lis is a symbol associated with the French monarchy. The tie bar cost €12 ($17.28). (Most Americans do not realize that the “s” in Fleur-de-Lis/Lys is pronounced like the “s” in “miss.”)
We then proceeded through a series of rooms called “salons” - the Hercules Salon, Abundance Salon, Venus Salon, Diane Salon, Mars Salon, Mercury Salon, Apollo Salon, and Salon of War. Each one was gorgeous and decorated differently -with paintings, statues, ornate trim, painted ceilings, etc.
Ceiling View of the Venus Salon
Then we came to the 234-ft-long, elegant Hall of Mirrors. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hall_of_Mirrors_(Palace_of_Versailles)). It was in this hall that the Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I, was signed. Along one of the long walls are 17 high arched windows looking out onto the palace gardens. On the opposite wall are 17 mirrored arches that reflect the arched windows. Each mirrored arch contains 21 mirrors.
Hall of Mirrors
One interesting aspect of the mirrors is the context of their manufacture. In the 17th Century, mirrors were very expensive and considered high tech. The Republic of Venice had the monopoly on the manufacture of mirrors. A French official lured some Venetian technicians to produce mirrors in France. The Venetians reportedly sent operatives to France to poison the Venetian mirror technicians who had gone there. They were apparently unsuccessful, and the French began to produce mirrors at the Royal Mirror-Glass Factory
From the Hall of Mirrors, we went into the adjoining King’s Bedchamber.
Then we proceeded to the Salon of Peace and the Queen’s Bedchamber. (Could there be some reason that the King’s Bedchamber and the Queen’s Bedchamber were separated by the Salon of Peace.)
We continued on through the Nobles’ Room, the Chamber for Grand Couvert, and the Guards’ Room.
(At one time, the Chamber for the Grand Couvert was where the King and his family dined in the presence of the Court.)
Every single room was beautiful and elegant.
I later discovered that we missed one large room on the upper floor’s southern wing. It is called the Gallery of Battles (Galerie des Batailles). It glorifies 1,300 years of French military history. It is 360 feet long and 42 feet wide, and is decorated with 118 paintings and busts representing famous battles and military personnel.
After we finished with the first floor, we looked for a place to have lunch. On the ground floor was the Salon de Thé Angelina (Angelina’s Tea Room) that has a restaurant and snack bar. It is associated with the famous Salon de Thé Angelina on the Rue de Rivoli in Paris, which is famous for its hot chocolate. (Both are now owned by the Group Bertrand, which operates a number of other restaurants, including the famous Brasserie Lipp.) We decided against the restaurant because it would take too much time. The snack bar had very little left in the way of sandwiches.
We decided to walk into town and look for a restaurant, then return to the Palace Gardens. It turns out that was not a great idea because of the place we chose for lunch.
On the way out of the Palace, we stopped at the gift shop and book shop near the exit, but we found nothing we wanted.
Then we crossed the Place d’ Armes and Avenue Rockefeller. We turned left and walked a couple of blocks along Avenue Rockefeller. The first building we passed was the large former Royal Stables (Les Grandes Ecuries). Today, the building houses the Equestrian Arts Academy (Academie du Spectacle Equestre) (http://www.bartabas.fr/en/Academie-du-spectacle-equestre). There are equestrian shows there several times a week.
At the end of the Academy building, we came to Avenue de Saint- Cloud, a beautiful tree-lined avenue. We crossed the avenue and immediately came to a café called the Café de la Place d’Armes. After looking at it, we continued on for another block. We passed several other places, but decided to return to the café. It was a very poor choice. My grandson had a cheeseburger, and My granddaughter and I split a very long hot dog. Both were microwaved. My grandchildren both had a bottle of Fanta, and I had a bottle of water. The total came to €16.80 ($24.19). The food was terrible.
After finishing this “feast,” we returned to the Palace. We went back through the same entrance and security checkpoint. Then we walked around back to the gardens (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardens_of_Versailles). The gardens are huge and in the style of formal French gardens. They encompass nearly 2,000 acres with fountains, a grand canal, ponds, manicured lawns, some 200,000 trees, and lots of flowers and statues.
Flowers behind the Southern Wing
For those who prefer to ride through the gardens rather than walk, electric carts are available for rental for €30 ($43) per hour.
A Long View from the Latona Fountain to the end of the Grand Canal
Immediately in back of the center of the Palace are two large ponds. Beyond the ponds is a broad staircase that leads down to a very large fountain called the Latona Fountain (Bassin de Latone), which depicts a scene from Ovid’s Metamorphosis. It incorporates many statues and is four levels high.
The Latona Fountain
Beyond the fountain is a broad gravel pathway with a garden on either side. Then there is a long, wide lawn flanked by a gravel pathway, statues, and trees. It is about 800 feet in length. There we saw two gardeners using a wooden form to trim trees in various geometric shapes.
Gardeners Shaping Trees
Further on is the Apollo fountain in the center of which is a cluster of statues of Apollo, the Sun God, driving his chariot to light the sky. (Since King Louis XIV considered himself the Sun King, he associated himself with the Sun God.)
Next is the Grand Canal, which is nearly a mile long. Near the beginning of the Grand Canal is an area with a couple of restaurants, a garden shop, and places where you can rent row boats and bicycles. There is also an ice cream stand. We stopped at the ice cream stand and each ordered an ice cream cone. My granddaughter had a single dip mix of chocolate and pistachio, My grandson had a double dip chocolate, and I had a double dip apple-raisin. They were very good. The total cost was €9.80 ($14.11).
After we finished our ice creams, My grandchildren decided they were too tired to visit the Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon palaces. We found a mini-tram stop near the Grand Canal. It traveled to an area near the Palace entrance for €3.80 per person. We decided to take it.
The train traveled north about 1,000 feet along the tree-lined Allée Saint-Antoine to the Avenue de Trianon. There the train turned right and went about 2,000 feet. It turned right and went to an area near the rear of the Palace.
After leaving the Palace, we crossed the Place d’Armes and the Avenue Rockefeller. We followed the Avenue de Paris back to the Avenue du General de Gaulle. There we stopped in a couple of souvenir shops. My grandson is the only one who purchased anything. He paid €1 for a small item. My granddaughter and I each bought a 50 cl bottle of water for €1.60 per bottle.
From there, we returned to the train station and took a train back to Paris at 6:05 pm. (The return trains are called JILL or CIME trains.)
The ride back was smooth. We arrived at Gare d’Austerlitz about 6:45 pm. We walked to the Metro part of the station and took Line 10 two stops to Cardinal Lemoine. After stopping at the Carrefour Supermarket near the Metro station, we walked back to our apartment, arriving there about 7:40 pm.
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