By: bound2explore         May 24, 2016

From the time I read the story about Marie Antoinette and Louis the XVI I promised myself to witness the glorious time of French monarchy or at least what have left of it. The Versailles palace was built during the reign of Louis the XIV that housed the French government, most notably its royalty. Versailles palace can be reached by a train plus a few blocks of walking, so you really don’t need to book a tour. Besides, the train ride gives you a chance to sneak peek into French countryside. I boarded a train from Paris to Versailles and walked from the train station to the gate of Versailles palace. Tip: buy the ticket ahead of time at the store next to the train station when you arrive to avoid the queue at the entrance.

As I entered the Versailles palace, I was blown away. It is strikingly beautiful, especially the hall of mirror (La Grande Galerie) with its many chandeliers. This famous hall was featured in perfume ads campaign and this was also the place where Louis the XV was introduced to his mistress for the first time during the party. Versailles is a massive palace with so many beautiful rooms to explore. A self-guided audio will help you discover the history behind each room inside the Versailles. At the end of the tour, you can visit the gift shop or walk straight to the exit door where the Garden of Versailles awaits you.

The garden was designed in baroque style where each section of the garden was lay out in geometric symmetrical design. The Garden of Versailles is equally massive as its palace, featuring water fountain, sculptures, flowers, trees and lake.   So what to do inside this beautiful garden?

You can do a picnic by the lake or grab the food from the café inside the garden. You can rent a rowboat at a rental place located right by the lake and row a boat on the lake. Even though I had to flex some muscle to row a boat and it almost felt like a workout, at the end the hard work paid off cause the view from the lake was absolutely stunning. If you are not into rowing a boat, then you can stroll along the lake which take you to Marie Antoinette’s estate: The Petit Trianon. This place is worth visiting if you want to take a look inside Marie Antoinette’s life. Remember, you need to buy a separate ticket to go inside The Petit Trianon. From there you can walk back to the front gate or you can ride the petite train from Marie Antoinette’s estate all the way to the front gate.

Another thing you can do in the garden of Versailles? You can meet a stranger and make a new friend. This happened to me by accident when I was roaming the garden and bumped into a tourist from Turkey, which later on inspired me to explore Turkey a few times as you can read it here, about my Istanbul layover with a local. Your exploration of Versailles could turn into one fine day, a friendship, an impending adventure or even a romantic affair. Because when you are in Versailles surrounding by a stunning palace, a beautiful garden, and seemingly happy people, you can sense the love is in the air, and sometimes it turns into a long lasting friendship.

So whenever you are in Paris, definitely take a day trip to Versailles. Not only because the Versailles is a grand beautiful palace but also its significant place in history. And if you need help figuring out what train to take, check www.parisbytrain.com. Have a romantic day in Versailles!