Versailles

Le Chateau de Versailles is the opulent palace outside Paris that was once home to French kings Louis XIII, Louis XIV, Louis XV, and Louis XVI. In 1624, Louis XIII began building a hunting lodge in the small village of Versailles.

Then Louis XIV, the Sun King, enlarged the old lodge, turning it into the great Chateau we know today. In 1837, Louis-Philippe converted the entire site into a museum of French History. World War I was ended here with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in the Hall of Mirrors.

The infamous Marie Antoinette, queen of Louis XVI, was beheaded for her part in the French Revolution. But she is also known for the little lakeside village she had built near the Trianon where she liked to play shepherdess. An excellent PBS overview of Versailles complete with short video clips and diagrams can be found in Marie Antoinette and the French Revolution.

For an unbelievable aerial view take a look at this satellite map. Zoom in all the way and actually see the people on the sidewalk! The intricate palace gardens are absolutely fabulous from this view.

View some beautiful photographs of Versailles at Images of Versailles and photos of Versailles. If you would like a map of the palace, this shows both floors. Click on "Plan Your Visit", then "How to Visit."

Note: Versailles is one the featured tours in the "Rick Steves France Audio Tour" podcast mentioned in the article on Travel Pocasts. Also there are printable maps of the the chateau and the entire Versailles complex in this podcast download.