The Château de Versailles (Palace of Versailles) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about 12 miles southwest of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, under the direction of the French Ministry of Culture, by the Public Establishment of the Palace, Museum and National Estate of Versailles. Built in the Classical and Baroque styles, construction began in 1661.
Château Versailles Hall of Mirrors
15,000,000 people visit the Palace, Park, or Gardens of Versailles every year. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world. You can take the RER train that runs underground along the left bank of Paris to Versailles-Rive Gauche RER station. It’s a 1.1 km walk west of the station to The Château’s main gate. Give yourself a 4-8 hours here. depending upon if you are going to walk the vast gardens. some of the Parc de Versailles to the west of the Château and to the Grand Trianon and the Petit Trianon. You can also rent a row boat or a water cycle for two in the man made lake.
Louis XIII built a simple hunting lodge on the site of the Château de Versailles in 1623 and replaced it with a small château in 1631–34. Louis XIV expanded the château into a palace in several phases from 1661 to 1715. It was a favorite residence for both kings, and in 1682, Louis XIV moved the seat of his court and government to Versailles, making the palace the capital of France. This was continued by Kings Louis XV and Louis XVI, who primarily made interior alterations to the palace. In 1789 the royal family and the capital of France returned to Paris. For the rest of the French Revolution, the Palace of Versailles was largely abandoned and emptied of its contents, and the population of the surrounding city plummeted.
Napoleon Bonaparte used Versailles as a summer residence from 1810 to 1814, but he did not restore it. When the French Monarchy was restored, it remained in Paris. In the 1830s meaningful repairs were made to the palace. A museum of French history was installed within it, replacing the apartments of the southern wing.
The palace and park were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 for its center of power, art, and science in France during the 17th and 18th centuries