Sightseeing in Versailles - what to see. Complete travel guide

French city Versailles is very popular among tourists from all over the world. Each year it is visited by numerous travellers, overcoming many capitals of different countries. The city looks more like an elegant palace, surrounded by parks and green valleys. Large number of historical and architectural sights makes this place one of the most valuable historical and cultural centers of the world.

Palace of Versailles is the main sight and the first association people name when asked about this place. It was built in the 12th century and nowadays it is considered the architectural model among the palaces of that period. Initially this palace belonged to Louis XIII. Later the house was expanded and turned into a luxurious palace with rich decorations and spacious halls. Art experts immediately recognize unforgettable elements of classicism that are laconically coincided with the elements of baroque.

The main park of Versailles has become the most popular place for pedestrian walks. The square of the park exceeds 6,000 hectares. It is also decorated with various sculptures, swimming pools, and fountains. The noblest people of France once walked on the roads of this park. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

The crossing of three main streets of Versailles is the location of the statue of Louis XIV. The statue was installed around 150 years ago. Nearby the palace starts the main valley of the town. If you take a walk along it, you can reach the Grand Canal. Here are located a series of sights, among which are the palaces Le Grand Trianon and Le Petit Trianon, and also a cozy village named after Maria Antoinette. This settlement still keeps an ancient windmill, houses and a milk farm. There is also a historic-architectural complex that will tell you about the history of the town and the whole country. The galleries and halls of this complex exhibit various collections of historical artifacts.

Among the cultural institutions of Versailles, the Museum of the History of France deserves top priority. It is located in the Palace of Versailles. The history of the creation of this museum is very interesting. Its founder is King Louis Philippe. He refused to live in the Palace of Versailles and decided to open a museum in one of his luxurious rooms, which would become a symbol of national reconciliation. For the museum, one of the luxury apartments was redone. The best European architects worked on the design of the hall. Today the museum presents more than 5.5 thousand unique historical artifacts, among which are many priceless works of art.

The most interesting historical site is the Domaine of Madame Elisabeth, located not far from the city center. In the 12th century, the Montreuil family estate was in its place, and in 1375 a castle was built instead of it, which was subsequently under royal control for many years. For hundreds of years, this beautiful castle has been replaced by many owners, and today it belongs to state institutions. This castle is surrounded by a lush garden, in which one can admire the ancient trees while walking along it.

Fans of theatrical art in Versailles should definitely visit the Theater Montansier. It was founded in the 18th century on the initiative of the famous actress Madame Montpensier. Since opening, this beautiful theater has amazed people with its stylish decoration. Its decoration was attended to by the best sculptors and artists of Italy. The last major reconstruction of the theater took place in 1992. A significant part of wall paintings and stucco, as well as unique elements of decoration, managed to be restored.

Fans of natural attractions will like the Chevrolet Arboretum located in the city. It covers an area of ​​more than 200 hectares. In this arboretum, there are about 2,700 species of bushes and plants that were brought from different corners of the world. In addition, several greenhouses with exotic plants are set on the territory of the arboretum, so it will be interesting to visit it even in winter. This amazing natural park was founded in the first half of the 20th century. Here was the Museum of Natural History. Now, this amazing park is visited by more than 17 000 tourists from all over the world. Versailles will pleasantly surprise visitors with the variety of not only historical, but also natural attractions.