Palace of Versailles

Since its construction prior to the 4th - 5th century, the Palace of Versailles is an emblem of power, dominance and entertainment of the French monarchy. From then until today this incredible castle is considered one of the most beautiful royal palaces, not only in France but also in Europe. Versailles Palace was built in place of the previous hunting lodge in today's rich suburb of Paris - Versailles. It is located in the western suburbs of the French capital, about 17.1 kilometers from the center of Paris.

For a little more than a century, from 1682 to 1789 Versailles was the capital of the French Kingdom and the incredible Palace of Versailles is centrally located to the French rulers. The name of this castle is associated mostly with the management of Louis XIV - the Sun King.

The construction was appointed by the king himself in 1661 with the chief architect Louis Le Vaud. Immediately after, the Versailles Palace acquired key frames, the work of architect Le Vaud is famous everywhere for his innovative construction and aesthetic approach.

The second phase of the construction began in 1668 which opened the second phase of Versailles Palace. The new buildings are constructed around the throne room. The next stage of the castle takes about ten years and the cost of labor included nearly 30, 000 craftsmen and construction workers. After building the palace the Sun King moved his headquarters from Paris to Versailles.

The facade of the castle is about 576 meters long and is riched with huge beautiful park gardens that are used by the monarch for lavish parties and drinking. The garden area occupies a total of 101 hectares of Versailles Palace and are scattered along water facilities. The whole complex was also decorated with 400 sculptures. Built on the orders of Louis XIII, Lebedov fountain was renovated in 1671 and was turned into a Fountain of Apollo.

The entire sculpture was built by lead and was gold plated which represents the god seated in a chariot in which four fiery horse harness. At the outbreak of the French Revolution, the palace suffered significant damage but was partially recovered partially.

Particularly impressive is the Mirror Hall at Versailles Palace which reaches a height of 13 m. The windows which overlook the parade part of the park are located symmetrically to the crystal mirrors. The entire ceiling is decorated in beautiful murals depicting the great deeds of the monarch. To get to the Mirror hall you will pass through the hall of peace and war.

After the King's death in 1715 a unique theater serving as a retainer Opera Theatre was built. The theater could accommodate 700 spectators and had a moving scene. The beauty is only used for emergency and major events such as the wedding for King Marie Antoinette in 1770.

Today 6 million visitors arrive annually in Versailles Palace. The price of an entry ticket with full access to all galleries and exhibitions during the high season is 50 euros and for children and students 6 euros. Outside of the peak season the regular fare is 15 euros.

If you're only there for one day you definitely will not be able to see everything, so you can get separate tickets for different parts - examining the castle itself costs 15 euros.