Paris, Day 12, Part II: Versailles

Originally published on January 20, 2014, this blog post series is an undergraduate short-term study abroad trip in Paris, France in partnership with Salve Regina University and AIFS Abroad. The blog post may have been edited for clarity and updated with relevant travel information and links.

We left for Versailles after class on Friday afternoon and spent our time taking the main tour, then walked through the gardens. Even though we didn’t have time to walk through the Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon, and Marie Antoinette’s gardens, it just means that I have to make my way back to Paris to see them in the summer.

The view of one wing of Versailles by the RER station

Louis XIV

The golden gates

There’s also gold on the roof

The first floor of the chapel

The second floor of the chapel

I can’t get enough of these doors…

A view of one of the gardens from the inside

This picture–along with the rest of the pictures in this post–do not do Versailles justice. This painting above is immense…

Never forget to look up on the ceilings–every corner of every room is decorated

I’m not kidding, I want these doors…

Louis XIV bedchamber

The Hall of Mirrors

Another royal bedchamber

The grounds are absolutely stunning…

The state is constantly working to maintain and restore Versailles. One of the fountains is currently being cleaned–it’s been removed off of the palace grounds for restoration since last July.

The Apollo fountain

Versailles is so huge that these steps seem like they lead to nowhere

l’Orangerie–oranges do grow here during the summer

I need to come back here!

Author’s Note: In the following years after this visit, I had the opportunity to visit Versailles a few more times and toured the rest of the grounds. You can read about the skip-the-line guided tour with The Paris Guy as well as check out the photo diary of the Petit Trianon and Marie Antoinette’s escape.