From the palace, the garden, the grand Trianon and Marie Antoinette estate, I invite you to take in a mini-scape via my HDR quality induced photos taken from one of the most beautiful places I’ve experienced: The Palace of Versailles. The Palace, built by Louis XIV in the 17th century (nicknamed; The Sun King but I’ll spare you the details) Although it was a dreary day, the gold magnificence reflected off of the Palace’s embellishments and was as glorifying as the sun would have been in its place.

The highlights of the experience included walking through The Hallway of Mirrors, the Queens Apartments and the French Gardens (Click Christian Dior for a fabulous video showcasing the 1st and last of my favorites).  For those that wish to see the 50 fountains bursting with all their aqua might or watch the evening illuminations show complete with fireworks, be sure to visit in the high season months.

Despite the dreary day and fragile leaves, the geometrical flower beds, terraces, topiary, lakes and shrub maze were spectacular.  I felt a calm serenity and can easily imagine how this would compare to the frenzied crowded atmosphere of summer. This palace is so versatile in both French esthetic and design that I can’t wait to re-visit. Ah! To experience the glitz and glamour of the spring festivities and pretend that I am a visiting noble attending Royal Court.

After the French Revolution, Versailles was no longer the royal home, instead, the Tuileries and Louvre would become the kingdoms main establishment (You can read more about them here.)  Nearly all the furnishings in Versailles were moved to the Tuileries or sold off at auction. Not until the 20th century were the royal collections brought back or fabrics duplicated to mimic the authenticity of  their original periods. However, the paintings scattered throughout Versailles does well enough to represent to the richness and grandeur of  this once royal dwelling.

Until Next Time!