|
It is impossible to decide whether the Chateau De Versailles or the Chateau’s gardens are more spectacular and impressive. The estate encompasses a 250-acre park of formal gardens and beautiful statuary. The bubbling fountains and oversized urns add a surreal magic to this over-the-top flamboyant French paradise. Adventure Woman recommends initially taking the horse and carriage ride around the gardens to get an overview of the expansive surroundings. You will feel the spirit of Queen Marie Antoinette as you ride in your private carriage through the opulent gardens. Take a leisurely tour inside the Chateau and marvel at extravagance in excess. The monarchy partied and made history in these luxurious rooms from 1682 to 1789. It all came to a crashing end when the revolutionaries came to ‘rain on the opulent parade’ of Marie Antoinette and her husband King Louis XVI. Perhaps the most memorable room at Versailles is the breathtaking Hall of Mirrors, Galerie des Glaces, which is an awe-inspiring 236-feet-long wonderland of gilt, gold and glass. The Hall has held some of the most sumptuous and lavish balls in the world, and hosted the wedding of Marie and Louis. On a more serious note, the signing of the Treaty of Versailles also took place in the Hall of Mirrors in 1919. There is no better symbol of the limitless spending and heady magnificence of the French Monarchy in its heyday than the unparalleled Versailles. Be prepared to shoot lots of photographs and spend the entire day (an easy day trip from Paris). Yes, you really can be an adventure queen for the day.
|