All over the world, Versailles is synonymous with splendor and royal dignity. One of the most important and famous French palaces is located here, the seat of the kings, surrounded by extensive gardens and a park.
Although the city is small, you can spend the whole day there. Apart from the palace and its surroundings it doesn't have much to offer, but there are many nice restaurants and bars on the main street of Satory. In addition to the residence area, there is also the baroque Cathedral of St. Louis of Versailles.
The initiator of the transfer of the royal seat to Versailles was Louis XIV. In the 17th century, he had a palace surrounded by gardens built here, which is considered to be the pinnacle of the French Baroque. The Palace of Versailles is also one of the largest royal residences in the world. Together with its surroundings, it is included in the UNESCO list.
The palace interiors saved from destruction by Napoleon III are full of works of art and are very richly decorated. It also includes the Royal Chapel and the Royal Opera of Versailles. In the palace stables, there is now a Carriage Museum, presenting the vehicles of French monarchs.
In addition to the main palace of Versailles, there are also two other mansions surrounded by gardens - the Grand Trianon and the Petit Trianon. It was here that after World War I, peace agreements were agreed, and the treaty with Hungary was signed at the Trianon Palace.
The royal residence also consists of the Gardens of the Palace of Versailles. They consist of French gardens with numerous fountains and ponds, such as Latona's Fountain, Apollo's Chariot, Dragon's Fountain, Neptune's Fountain and the Water Buffet. They are surrounded by geometric flower beds and ornaments and labyrinths made of hedges.
The further part of the gardens is an English park, where you can admire romantic buildings, the Temple of Love, Belweder Palace, carved into fanciful shapes of rocks, as well as the buildings of two idyllic farms, the Marie Antoinette Farm and the Marie Antoinette Estate. The axis of the gardens are avenues, Avenue Sceaux and Avenue Bailly, while L'esplanade du Fer à Cheval runs around the main pond by the palace.
