"Don't anger the dolls"-A France and DLP Trip, June '18-COMPLETED (4/22-ride comparisons)

Following along! DLP is our nearest Disney park and I have never visited. My DD went when she was 4 with my Mum and Dad. France is on our short list for next year and am considering possible itineries. I am interested in the Golden Forest rooms at Sequoia Lodge. Great start to your trip report.
 
Finally had a chance to come here and catch up. I'm loving all of your Paris pictures. I'm not sure if or when I'll make it over there, the whole idea of traveling to a foreign country stresses me out a bit. Maybe if someone else planned it I would be happy but it seems very daunting to figure it all out yourself! Oh, and ugh to the family drama. :rolleyes2 I totally understand how frustrating it can be planning for different personalities!
 
First, I'm soooo sorry for not updating this in a while! I normally like to work on it when I have downtime at work, and, well that hasn't happened too much! So, anyways, I will be trying to get this updated more often, but don't worry - I'm not giving up on it! It just takes a while to get photos edited and whatnot!

Day 3, Part 1 - Versailles - Travel and arrival

Today was a day I was pretty excited about – my first time to visit Versailles! During my research I also found out in the summer Versailles turns on the fountains and has Musical Water Fountain Shows on Tuesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, so we picked a Tuesday to visit.

The Palace of Versailles is one of the most popular tourist destinations in France, and I knew the lines for security and entrance can get hours long in the summer, especially on days with the Musical Water Fountains, so I stressed the importance of arriving early to my family. The night before I reminded them multiple times, I was walking out the front door at 8am, regardless of who was with me (this was actually even later than I would have preferred, since it opened at 9am and it takes about an hour to get there).

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Well luckily, when I woke up, Mom and Dad were already awake and ready – good because Dad can take a while in the morning. 2 down 3 to go. Anthony got up at same time as me, so 3 down, 2 to go. Breakfast was I think just leftover Brioche, or whatnot from the day before. I don’t have any photos of new pastries so no one went to the patisserie that morning (note – even though we were surrounded by patisseries, only 1 opened before 9am, so that was our go-to for breakfast. And really, it was my favorite in Paris for croissants, so worked out well).

Finally, Lauren and Joey got up. The rest of us were waiting in the living room, and I wanted to make sure they knew the time, so I shouted out 10 minutes. Of course, Lauren immediately snapped at me and got all pissy… whatever.

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Anyways, we left less than 10 minutes late, so were at metro station at 8:17. In order to get to Versailles via public transport, you take the RER (train). So first we had to take a metro from our area to a station which connected with the RER. We considered taking an Uber, but no vans were available. Also, it would have been about 70 euro, while metro+train was around 7 euro each (and I already had the metro pass). In retrospect, it probably would have been a good idea just to call 2 separate Ubers, and I would probably recommend that route for other visitors.

So, everything went well getting to the RER station. And then we get there, check the next train, and “delayed”. One after that is “cancelled”. Then I realize … oh no, today is a strike day. (For people who weren’t following the news this summer, there was a train strike in France from April to June. Trains were running, just reduced by up to 85% some days (the Paris metro wasn’t impacted, just the SCNF trains, including some RER lines)! But, the way strikes go is they announce the strike days in advance, so it goes 2 days of strike, 3 days normal, 2 days strike, 3 days normal, etc. We were originally supposed to take the train from Paris to the Loire Valley but it was a strike day, so we ended up getting the rental car from Paris instead. But I guess I didn’t think to check more days when we could possibly be taking the train.)

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I think I vaguely knew there was a strike that day, but forgot. The next train finally got there around 8:56, so I was already anxious since it was at least a 30 minute train ride, so we were going to miss opening. And, well, saying it was packed is an understatement. Literally everyone was packed like sardines. Mom and Dad tried to say, I don’t think we’ll make it on. I said, we have to, next train isn’t for 90 minutes and will be the same. So, we pushed on. Like literally, had to squeeze into every available space! It was not fun.

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At least that only lasted for 2 stops, as many people got off them, and my whole family was able to get seats (though not all together, but the train terminated at Versailles, so it wasn’t a worry about communicating which station to get off at).

So, anyways, we arrived at Versailles station at 9:25, followed the crowds of people (Lauren wanted to stop for a Starbucks, but she realized the line was pretty long and I WAS NOT HAVING IT, so we skipped). We made our way down tree pathway (which was very pretty), and got to the outer gates at 9:35am.

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Another thing – we followed the crowds down the path from the train station to the Palace, which I guess is a more direct route, but that means we enter from the parking lot so it’s a bit of a gradual reveal. I think it would have been cooler if we had walked down to the main road and then turned down, to be able to get a sudden view (this photo is actually from later in the evening when we happened to walk down that road, but more later). But… whatever, we got there.

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The first security check was really just a cursory bag check (I think the guards had flashlights but weren’t even really looking in the bags, just glancing at the top). There also wasn’t an organized line, so people just sort of were clumped together until they passed the gate. I think this security perimeter was around the palace and gardens, as there are other entrance gates. Note: the gardens are normally free to walk around, but because we were visiting on a Fountain Show, they had ticket takers/checkers at all the entrances.

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While we didn’t arrive right at the Palace opening, thankfully the security line to get in, was not that long. If you end up taking a tour, you can skip that main security line (I think there is a secondary entrance for tours, or maybe groups in general). Versailles is also included in the Paris Museum Pass, so we didn’t have to buy tickets. Though I think you can actually buy timed tickets, which also let you skip the large part of the line. And, they have a restaurant in the Palace, which also has a secondary entrance. I did see the line length fluctuate over the day, and if you end up going to the Palace in the later hours, there can be no line at all! So, if the line looks too long, you can always consider doing the gardens and other areas before the Palace!

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This is a capture from Google Earth, which can show just how bad the line can get in! We had to wait in basically the red portion of the line!

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Cont... Palace of Versailles


 


Part 2 - Versailles, History and Palace

So, the Palace of Versailles is huge – it actually is the Palace and Park of Versailles and has a total square footage of 1,070 hectacres. To put this in a perspective people can understand more, that is approximately the same area as every American Disney park combined! And actually, before the revolution, it was over 8,000 hectacres!

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I find it best to divide into: The Palace (in red), The Gardens (in yellow), The Trianon (in purple) (including the Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon, and Hamlet of Marie Antoinette), and the Grounds (everywhere else). There is also a carriage gallery, which is outside the palace grounds and is free to visit. And the map indicates a King's Vegetable Garden, but we never went over there.

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The Palace
(Information and photos courtesy of Wikipedia)

Some notes from the historical record: Originally Versailles was a small village and church, surrounded by forests. King Henry IV went hunting there in 1589 and loved it so much he returned, and his son, the eventual King Louis XIII, bought some land and built a modest 2-story hunting lodge. Eventually he decided to make the lodge into a chateau, and he purchased the remaining area, and started construction on the chateau. He later died when his son, Louis XIV was four years old.

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King Louis XIV (the Sun King) first visited the chateau at age 12, but didn’t develop a passion for it until 10 years later, after he was married and came into his own. He ended up rebuilding, embellishing, and enlarging the chateau to create a setting for relaxation, as well as entertainment. Over the next 55 years, the King spent more and more time in Versailles, and continued to enlarge it, proclaiming Versailles his principal residence and the seat of government in 1682. (Previously it had been the Palace of Louvre in Paris.)

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In 1715, Louis XIV died, and his great-grandson, Louis XV, age 5, came to power. The government was temporarily moved back to Paris, but in 1722, when he came of age (at age 13!), he moved it back to Versailles, where it remained until the French Revolution. King Louis XV (known as Louis the Beloved) made few changes to the exteriors of Versailles, instead focusing on the interiors. He ruled for 59 years, and was eventually succeeded by his grandson, Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette.

The Palace was actually the site of the Peace of Paris, where the United Kingdom officially recognized the independence of the United States in 1783.

In 1789, the King and Queen were at Versailles when they learned about the storming of the Bastille. The growing anger in Paris led to the Women’s March on Versailles on October 5th, where a crowd of several thousand men and women, protesting the high price and scarcity of bread, marched from the markets of Paris to Versailles. They basically forced the King and Royal Family to return with them to Paris, where they were eventually executed.

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After the family left, the Palace was closed up, expecting them to eventually return. In 1792, the Convention, the new revolutionary government, ordered all the paintings and sculptures in the Palace to be moved to the Louvre, and in 1793, ordered all royal property to be sold at auction. All funishings and art, including mirrors, baths, kitchen equipment, were sold, with the fleurs-de-lys and royal emblems chambered or chiseled off. A small museum of French paintings and art school was opened, with some public tours of the empty grand apartments, but for the most part the buildings became storage for other items confiscated from the nobility.

In 1804, Napoleon briefly considered making Versailles his residence, but decided not to after seeing how much it would cost to renovate. After Napoleon was removed from power, King Louis XVIII, the younger brother of Louis XVI, was installed, but he and his successor, Charles X, never lived in Versailles. Louis XVIII did order restoration of the royal apartments, but it cost too much.

The French Revolution of 1830, led to a new king, Louis-Philippe, who began the creation of the Museum of the History of France in one of the Palace wings, however the full restoration wasn’t completed, as he was overthrown in 1848. The palace was used for a variety of purposes, including entertaining Queen Victoria of England, the headquarters of the German Army in the Franco-German War, the home of the government of the Third French Republic, and eventually the home of the French Senate (which continues to meet in the Palace on special occasions, such as the amendment of the French Constitution).

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The Palace finally began to be restored in the late 19th century and continues to this day (however was interrupted during the World Wars). In 1919, the Treaty of Versaillles was signed in the Hall of Mirrors, ending WWI. In the 1920s John D. Rockefeller gave over $2 million (equivalent to ~$30 million today) for the restoration. In 2003 a new restoration initiative, the “Grand Versailles” project was started, which continues to renovate areas.

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Ok, back to our visit:

Some photos from the outside plaza… lots and lots of gold plated everything! The gate is actually not original, as that was removed during the revolution.

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And statues on the fencing, one nice, and one…not so nice

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The security here was a bit more thorough, with metal detectors and a bag X-Ray machine, though I had seen guards other places barely glance at the machine screens, so I’m not sure how much they cared. We were thru everything and in the main courtyard at 9:50am.

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Some panoramas:

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At that point, I ended up splitting off from everyone else. We came up with two meeting spots/times: at 3:30 in the gardens and then at 6pm in front of the palace, in case people couldn’t make the 3:30 one.

 
Part 3 - State Rooms

Everyone else waited in the long line for the audioguide, but I skipped that, since I had downloaded the Versailles app beforehand, which had the audio guides on it. This allowed me to use my ear buds, rather than have to hold up the guide to my ear – so much more convenient!

To give an idea of the tour, these are screenshots from the official website map of the Palace:

Ground floor:
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First floor (aka, second floor in American terms)
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You enter through the place marked "A" (groups enter through "B"), then the Palace entrance is the arrow on the right. The ground floor galleries are the blue checkmark, and there are stairs at the end. You then go to the upper floor and back the direction you came to see the Portrait galleries and the upper level of the chapel (the blue checkmark on right side). Then you go up through the state apartments until you reach the Hall of Mirrors (the long room at the top). You double back and see some of the King's apartments (the blue checkmark below the Hall of Mirrors); the Queens apartments (blue checkmark on the left side) were closed, then you go around until you reach the Battle Gallery (blue checkmark on far left), go back to the ground floor, and are done!

I skipped by most exhibits on first floor, which talks about the history and construction of Versailles. I had planned on going back later, but was too tired at the end of the day, which was too bad, since I probably would have liked learning more about it!

I did appreciate The Royal Chapel, and you actually get two views – downstairs and upstairs (though you are held at the entrance via ropes). The King and his family normally remained upstairs, with the courtiers downstairs.

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I made my way thru the crowds to the second floor, which starts out with a lot of portrait galleries (I won't bore you with lots of photos of photos). I did think it was cool though how each one had different colored wallpaper, which made for a pretty view down through the sequential doorways.

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You can see how worn down the stairs are though!

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There is a defined route to walk along, so you sort of end up getting herded along with everyone else!

Then I finally came to the State Apartments, which were just WOW! Absolutely gorgeous ceiling paintings and gold details. Literally, I think the theme of this place was – can you put gold on it, yes? Do it. No? Of course you can…

The Salon of Hercules

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The Hall of Plenty: Originally it was antechamber to the Cabinet of Curios, where King Louis XIV kept his collection of precious jewels and rare objects.

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The Salon of Venus: This was used for serving light meals during evening receptions.

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The Salon of Diana: This was used as a billiards room, with galleries for the courtiers to watch the King play!

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The Salon of Mars: This was used by the royal guards, so decorated on a military theme.

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The Salon of Mercury: This was the original State Bedchamber, however the bed is currently a replica (though it was commissioned by King Louis-Phillippe when he turned the Palace into a museum).

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The Salon of Apollo: This was actually King Louis XIV’s throne room, however the silver thrown was melted down in 1689 and was replaced with a gilded wooden throne.

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The War Salon
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Part 4 - The Hall of Mirrors and King's Apartments

Then, the pièce de résistance – The Hall of Mirrors – Double WOW! It is definitely crowded, so some people recommend if you get there at opening, race to this room, and take empty photos, then loop back around to the rest of the rooms you missed. But, even with the people, you can just feel the majesty in it! Pictures DO NOT do it justice! Like, I literally exclaimed Wow! when I entered the doorway!

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Unfortunately, the private apartments of the Queen were undergoing refurbishment, so I couldn’t visit.

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The private apartments of the King were also very opulent, and were set aside for the King’s personal use, including official functions (such as lever “waking up” and coucher “going to bed”). It must have been strange in French court, as the King would basically do everything by himself, surrounded by courtiers watching him, like eating his meal seated alone at a table, and using a spoon, fork, and knife brought to him in a golden box.

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The Kings and Queens apartments are laid out in a suite, with each having 7 rooms, and ceilings painted with scenes of mythology – the king having male figures and the queen having female figures.

View of main courtyard and the gardens from the apartments

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After visiting the State Apartments, I visited the Gallery of Battles, which was the original Museum of the History of France. King Louis Philippe had paintings and sculptures of famous French victories and heroes all along this huge gallery. It’s actually off to the side, so some people end up missing it, instead heading downstairs and out of the Palace.

(basically don’t go down these stairs until after you see the battle gallery)

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Battle Gallery:

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Made sure to show woman power and get a photo of Joan of Arc Entering Orleans

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Part 5 - Princess Rooms

After you finish the main Palace area, you can visit the “Princess apartments” on the ground floor, home to the Mesdames of France, the six daughters of Louis XV. Two of the princesses remained there until the revolution, unmarried and lived to an old age. The rooms are actually symmetrical, with each Madame having five rooms, including sitting rooms, bedroom, library, etc.

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I found it interesting how some of the library rooms had lower ceilings, because they basically built another room on top of it (but we didn't have access to it).

In addition to the Queens apartments, there are several other areas of the Palace I wasn't able to visit:
  • The Royal Opera of Versailles, which was commissioned by Louis XIV, but only finally finished for the marriage of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette. Unfortunately, it was also being renovated, so I couldn’t visit.
  • The King's Mistresses' apartments; these are only available on a guided tour.
  • The Dauphin and Dauphine’s Apartments (the heir to the current king and queen) were also under renovation, but some of the furnishings were on display in the Princess rooms.
The Palace itself is just gorgeous, and I loved visiting it. If you wanted to spend time soaking in every detail and visiting every place, probably 3 hours would be a decent time to budget. But I did about 1 hr upstairs, plus about 15 minutes downstairs, and I was happy with what I saw.


During the visit I didn't run into my family at all, but when I was in the Battle Gallery, I got a text from Joey asking where everyone was. I was the only one who answered (I think there was free wifi in the Palace, which is why he sent an imessage). He was down in the courtyard, so I met him down there, and we ended up visiting the Princess rooms together, while waiting to hear back from anyone else (he had somehow gotten separated from the others). By that time, I knew the fountains were already turned on for their morning run and I was getting antsy (they are only on for 1 hr in the morning). But of course, Lauren had his garden ticket (we had to pay for separate access to the gardens due to the fountain show), so I couldn't take him with me, and I didn't want to abandon him alone. We waited around for a while, before he finally assured me to go on ahead, and hopefully someone would show up soon (we could see all the exits from the Palace, so were watching to see if anyone came out). Thankfully, shortly after I left, Anthony showed up, and he and Joey ended up getting a pastry or coffee (or more likely a beer) in one of the cafes until they heard back from the others.


But next...onto the Gardens!
 
Breakfast was I think just leftover Brioche, or whatnot from the day before.
Somehow in France, I feel like that is probably better than normal lefterovers..

Glad to hear you guys made it out only 10 minutes late. I would consider that a win...

It is crazy the detail they did when building these things!

That fabric is amazing!

Made sure to show woman power and get a photo of Joan of Arc Entering Orleans

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Girl Power! So, we were just in DC and we went to the Air and Space Mueseum. Morgan said she didn't like it because it was all men, there were no women in the museum. They find it just crazy that they would only let men go into space.
 
Versailles

I hear this in the voice of the guy from Impressions de France, lol

since I had downloaded the Versailles app beforehand, which had the audio guides on it. This allowed me to use my ear buds, rather than have to hold up the guide to my ear – so much more convenient!

::yes:: yes! I wish this was an option more places with audio tours...I hate wearing the headsets that come with some of them, ick. But I do it anyway to hear the tour :sad2:


I understand what you mean about photos not doing something justice, but wow, you can still get an idea of the grandeur here. It's beautiful.

It must have been strange in French court, as the King would basically do everything by himself, surrounded by courtiers watching him, like eating his meal seated alone at a table, and using a spoon, fork, and knife brought to him in a golden box.

What, you mean that's not the norm for you?? It's how I take all of my meals :rotfl::rotfl:


this is going to sound weird, given the obvious opulence, but even though it's gilded and grand, it does have a more homey type of feel to it. Those floors are KILLING me.


ooh, this is stunning! (it reminds me of something from Jurassic World 2, lol. I want it in my imaginary mansion.)



All of these chairs need to be mine! I thought I loved the ones in the first picture, then came the next one and I needed those too.

If you wanted to spend time soaking in every detail and visiting every place, probably 3 hours would be a decent time to budget.

You answered the question I was going to ask!! We plan to do a European vacation before the kids graduate high school and this is an absolute must do for me!!
 
That rail strike was crazy. It caused so many disruptions to people's summer plans over here. Your train looked packed, but I'm happy to hear it emptied out fairly quickly so it wasn't like that the entire ride.

Versailles looks huge. Holy cow, there's so much to it! I knew about the palace and gardens but didn't realize it had so many different areas inside and that they were two separate sights.

Thanks for including the little synopsis of the history of the place; I know sadly little about French history so it was fun to learn a bit!

All I could think when I saw the Hall of Mirrors pictures was...opulent. There was so much in that room! My word, that had to be a lot to take in. I've been to the Vatican Museums in Rome and thought those rooms were extravagant, but I think France has them beat!

Can't wait to see the gardens and the fountains!
 
Wow, that morning commute sounds rough! But glad you eventually got seats and you weren't running too late.

Beautiful pictures!
 
Been to Versailles. It is amazing! But also very overwhelming. Your wait to get in was not too bad. When we were there last summer, we wait 90 minutes.
 
Great trip report. Appreciate all the tips. I have taken a ton of notes for our trip next year.
 
Disboards no longer alerts me to updates. I'm way behind!

Stunning photos. I love historical sites. There is something indescribable about being in the same place as those that came before us who helped shape the future of the world, good or bad.
 
OK, I lost my quotes....and I'm not going back!!

Everything is just beautiful!! I love all the opulence and gold everything in the Palace. Those Princess rooms/suites, too. I could definitely live comfortably in one of those forever! :)
 
Yet again, I have fallen behind in posting! I think though after this I have far fewer pictures to edit (well...at least until I get to Disney), so I should be faster. I will get to replies soon too!

Day 3, Part 6 - Gardens and Musical Fountains

A Quick History of gardens
(via Wikipedia and the Versailles official website)

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The gardens of Versailles were started in the early 1660s, and are considered the finest example of the jardin a la francaise (French formal garden). The full area is approximately 240 acres (a little smaller than Epcot)! It took 40 years to construct them all and were developed between the landscaper and architect. Each project was reviewed by the King, who wanted to approve “every detail”. They are designed to illustrate the King’s complete dominance over nature.

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The gardens were truly a monumental task, having to regrade everything, remove meadows and marshes, adding lawns and hedges and decorations. To maintain the design, the garden needed to be replanted approximately every 100 years. It was done by Louis XVI at the beginning of his reign, then again by Napoleon III. In December 1999, there were massive wind storms in Europe and pulled up many trees, which have finally been replanted, so the gardens look the best they have in centuries!

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The fountains are still supplied by the original waterworks from the 18th century; it was possibly the biggest mechanical system of its time. In the past, the water was transported via monumental stone aqueducts (long since torn down). Because of the low level of water supply, the fountains were only turned on when the King was approaching them, and turned off after he left!

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There is an Orangerie, with a huge interior space, basically in the basement of the Palace. It was designed to hold over a thousand citrus fruit, palms, and oleanders. They would be taken out when the King was around to demonstrate everything would bloom when he passed by. Now-a-days they are taken out in warmer months (May-October).

The groves were created for Louis XIV between 1680-1690, bordered with high trees and carefully trimmed in cubic forms to represent rooms with walls of greenery.

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Musical Fountains

As I mentioned earlier, we visited on a Musical Fountain Show day. During the warmer months (March – October), a few days a week they activate the fountains, as well as having music piped through the gardens and groves. This past summer, it was on Tuesday, Saturday, and Sunday (though Tuesdays were limited to May-June). They also have Musical Gardens, which doesn’t have the fountains running.

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Normally it’s free to enter to the gardens, but on these days there is an extra charge. We had the Museum Pass, which includes admission to the Palace, so we had to buy an extra ticket, but it wasn’t too much more, and I felt it was worth it.

The Musical Fountains aren’t open the entire day, instead having one display from 11am – 12am, and one in the afternoon: on weekends it’s 3:30-5, but on Tuesdays it’s 2:30-4 (which I did not realize until I was there and will come into play later). The largest water displays actually run all day, with “shows” every 10-15 minutes. The reviews I read said that more fountains are running in the afternoon than the morning, so if you needed to pick one, do the afternoon. I did not really understand this – I thought it meant a couple fountains were active in the morning and then all the fountains were on in the afternoon. Nope, it means fountains on one side are on in the morning, and fountains on the other side are on in the afternoon. Furthermore, some of the morning fountains are only on from 11:15-11:45, so if your goal is to see every fountain, you need to prioritize those ones when they are running!

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My visit

I had originally hoped to get out to the gardens right at the beginning of the morning start, but was a bit delayed after my run-in with Joey and feeling guilty about just abandoning him. When I finally did leave him, I discovered the convoluted way to get to the gardens, where I had to go back into part of the Palace (near the gift shop), go downstairs, go out the exit, go back up stairs outside the Palace, and then can go around to garden entrance. I finally made it in at 11:25, getting a guide, and discovering my mistake about some gardens only in morning and some in afternoon. And I realized, some fountains would only be running for another 20 minutes! (I also misunderstood one of the descriptions, which just said “Grand Parterre” without any indication of location, so I thought 2 of the major fountains were also only on in the morning, so spent valuable time seeing those when I could have seen them in afternoon too!) In the end, I did see all of the fountains, but I missed a couple while they were on.

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As I talk about the gardens, I will refer by number to this map. As I was drafting the post, it seemed weird to bounce around so much based on where I actually walked, so I am actually posting in number order, not visit order. Then I will briefly describe my actual visit.

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9. Apollo Fountain

This is definitely one of the grandest fountains and the one on most promo materials. It is based on the legend of Apollo, the Sun god which coordinated with King Louis XIV’s icon of a sun. It is definitely one to see even when it’s not running!

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10. Enceladus Grove


Wow, this one was totally unexpected! The fountain is made of lead and is based on Enceladus, a giant from Greek mythology who opposed the gods. It depicts him half-buried under a pile of rocks. I planned out my day so I was waiting here at the start of the afternoon fountain shows, and it took a while for it to get going, but was pretty awesome once it did!

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11. King’s Garden

This was originally the location of a fountain, which had been badly maintained and turned the area into a swamp. In 1816, Louis XVIII ordered it to be removed and a landscaped garden put in its place. It was probably my favorite garden, as it almost felt like a secret, hidden behind the trees.

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12. Chestnut Trees Room (or Grove)

There are two small fountains on each end, but it really was a nice peaceful space, especially since no one else was there when I walked through. Originally there were fountains all along the grove, but those were replaced in 1704 with two rows of chestnut trees.


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13. Colonnade Grove

This was another one I missed when the fountains were on. It was pretty interesting, with a circular peristyle that encloses the whole grove and small fountains around the edges.


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14. Domes Grove

I think this was another one which never went on during the day. It has a large pool surrounded by statues, and you can get an idea of the layout in this Panorama photo.


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15. Mirror Pool & Fountain

The Mirror Pool was used partially to help make up for the difference in ground level as the gardens sloped down away from the Palace. A series of groves lead up to it, though these are not nearly as large as the other groves. This was a fountain which ran all day long with shows every 15 minutes, and it was timed to music, which was actually pretty cool!


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16. The Royal Way or Great Lawn

This is a major green thoroughfare that leads from the Palace to the Grand Canal. Statues flank it all the way down, along with entrances to the various groves. With the Musical Fountains, classical music was piped along the route, which was very lovely to experience!


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17. Girandole Grove

For some reason this one wasn’t marked as one with a fountain running at all during the day, so I don’t know if that was a mistake or just not working. It was one of the first groves, and has a reed motif, where water jets are supposed to shoot out into the center, where there’s a large spout of water.


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18. Dauphin’s Grove

The original Dauphin’s Grove was eliminated in 1775, and only restored in 2000.


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19. Latona Fountain and Parterre

This one is definitely impressive with all the gold gilding. It represents Latona, the mother of Apollo and Diana, protecting her children from angry peasants, and Jupiter turning some of them into frogs and lizards! It was definitely gorgeous! There were two Parterre’s on each side of the fountain, with smaller fountains (the Lizard Fountains), but you weren’t allowed to walk up closer to those.


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20. Ballroom

This was the one I was most disappointed to miss when the fountains were active. This was the last grove to be finished and was designed as an amphitheatre of greenery. There originally was an island in the center, connected with some small bridges, but that was removed in 1707. Truly gorgeous, and I could totally imagine dancing in there!


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21. Apollo’s Baths Grove

I almost didn’t walk down the path to this one, but am so glad I did. Absolutely gorgeous, and it looks like the statues just took up residence in natural rocks. And you really have to work for it, because there are long, tree pathways all the way to the grove and fountain! Unfortunately I couldn’t get very close to the figures because the lawn was roped off.


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22. Water Parterre

This is right up next to the Palace, and the two large rectangular pools are designed to reflect the sun up into the Hall of Mirrors. Each pool has bronze figures representing French rivers around it, as well as nymphs and groups of children along the edges.


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23. Three Fountains Grove

This is the only fountain that is still mentioned as being “the King’s idea”. It was renovated in 2005, and is back to operation like it was during the time of the royals living there. The lower pond creates a fleur-de-lys, the middle makes a tunnel of water jets, and the upper pool has a water column made from 140 water jets! The whole grove is on a steep incline, with older stairs that have been worn away, so I was happy I was walking uphill, not downhill, as I probably would have slipped!


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24. Neptune Fountain

The Neptune fountain was one of the later fountains and is very intricate, with 99 jets and an extensive hydraulic system. It wasn’t finished until 1740 during Louis XV’s reign. It was one of the fountains running all day long, with a “show” every 15 minutes. The actual show was a bit underwhelming in terms of entertainment, as it was just jets spraying around, but when you consider it’s the same basic mechanisms that are over 275 years old (though I’m sure with some improvements over the years), that is pretty impressive!


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25. Dragon Fountain

The Dragon Fountain represents another part of the legend of Apollo, and is very impressive with all it’s guilding! The main water jet can reach a height of 27m and is the tallest fountain at Versailles at full pressure (though I don’t think it was running that strong when I visited).


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26. Orangery

The Orangery was absolutely gorgeous, with so many trees! There are orange trees, lemon trees, oleander, palm and pomegranate trees, some over 200 years old! The actual building is underneath the palace, and was stocked by Louis XIV with orange trees from the royal houses. Courtiers would offer him their trees to curry favor! I don’t believe the building is open to the public, but there could be private tours.

The parterre takes up 3 hectacres! During Louis XIV’s reign, there were many sculptures, which are now in the Louvre.


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Some winter photos (from the official Versailles website):
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They still collect the oranges from the trees and have stands pressing fresh orange juice throughout the gardens. I mean, it’s just basic orange juice, no sugar, but it was cool to say I drank a Versailles orange at Versailles!


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