The Palace of Versailles

The Palace of Versailles, located about 17 km (10.5 miles) from the Arc de Triomphe, was originally Louis XIII's hunting pavilion and was transformed and expanded by his son, Louis XIV, who installed the court and government there in 1682.  Following that, the palace served as the permanent royal residence, seat of the court, and center of the French government for a succession of kings until the French Revolution in 1789.

Today the Palace contains 2,300 rooms spread over 63,154 square meters (679,784 square feet, 15.6 acres).  We take the RER regional train from Paris and approach the Palace.

Approaching Versailles

Once inside, we wander from room to room, absorbing the incredible size and opulence of this place.

Rooms of Versailles

The Galerie des Batailles (Gallery of Battles) is a grand room on the first floor, 120 meters by 30 meters  (394 feet by 98 feet), filled with pictures intended to glorify French military history from the Battle of Tolbiac (around 496) to the Battle of Wagram (1809).

 Battles of France

 As we stroll from room to room in the Palace, we are occasionally granted views of the fabulous gardens outside.  We'll visit them after we finish wandering inside, but get a peak every now and then to tempt us.

 Glimpses of the gardens