Attractions

In 1661, Louis XIV set out to build a palace that would be the envy of Europe and created a symbol of opulence copied, yet never duplicated, the world over. Less than 40 years and more than 40,000 workmen later, the Château de Versailles was transformed from Louis XIII's humble hunting lodge into an extravagant palace.

Wishing (with good reason) to keep an eye on the nobles of France, Louis XIV summoned them to live at his court. Here he amused them with constant entertainment and lavish banquets. To some he awarded such tasks as holding the hem of his robe. While the aristocrats played at often-silly intrigues and games, the peasants on the estates sowed the seeds of the revolution.

When Louis XIV died in 1715, his great-grandson Louis XV succeeded him and continued the outrageous pomp, though he is said to have predicted the outcome: "Après moi, le déluge" ("After me, the deluge"). His Polish wife, Marie Leszczynska, was shocked by the blatant immorality at Versailles.

The next monarch, Louis XVI, found his grandfather's behavior scandalous -- in fact, on gaining the throne, he ordered that the "stairway of indiscretion" (secret stairs leading to the king's bedchamber) be removed. The well-intentioned but weak king and his queen, Marie Antoinette, were well liked at first, but the queen's frivolity and spending led to her downfall. Louis and Marie Antoinette were at Versailles on October 6, 1789, when they were notified that mobs were marching on the palace. As predicted, le déluge had arrived.

Contemporary Versailles -- Despite being one of France's most visited sights, Versailles has been trying to enter the 21st century through a program of controversial exhibits by contemporary artists such as Jeff Koons and Takashi Murakami. The Sun King might be rolling in his grave, but the shows have drawn in huge crowds of new admirers to the Château.

Exploring the Town

If you have some extra time, or want to escape the hoards of tourists at the château, take a stroll through center of Versailles, and you'll see the real life of this elegant Parisian suburb. The heart of the town is the Saint-Louis Cathedral. To make room for the burgeoning palace, the village church of Saint-Julien of Brioude was demolished in 1679. With Versailles' rising importance, Louis XIV commissioned a new church, not surprisingly in honor of his namesake; St-Louis. Finished almost a century later in the Rococo style, it was converted into a "temple of Abundance" during the revolution and, with the revival of religion, consecrated a cathedral in 1843.

A short distance from the cathedral is the vibrant Notre Dame market, a gastronomic paradise held in the 1841 covered market building Tuesday to Sunday mornings and overflowing into the neighboring streets on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Antiques fans will be in heaven exploring the dozens of shops in the Passage de la Geôle, occupying the former royal jail. More shops can be found continue in the picturesque Les Carrés Saint-Louis. Built by Louis XV in 1755, these square blocks of low slate-roofed houses make up one of the first ever shopping malls. Even if you're not looking to buy, it's fun to imagine what could fill the gorgeous 18th-century mansions scattered around Versailles, constructed by aristocrats during the city's heyday as seat of the French government.