PALACE OF VERSAILLES

Do we still need to introduce it? Listed as a World Heritage Site, the Château de Versailles is certainly one of the finest achievements of ^17th-century French art. Originally a hunting lodge designed by Louis XIII, the château is inextricably linked with another sovereign: Louis XIV, his son. As early as 1661, the Sun King launched a major expansion campaign on the estate that so fascinated him, and which became the royal palace we know today, with the installation of his Court and Government in 1682.

Inside, no fewer than 2,300 rooms! Not all are open to the public, but some are true masterpieces, such as the famous Galerie des Glaces with its 357 mirrors. The rest of the estate is equally grandiloquent. The Park, which extends over 800 hectares, is a veritable treasure trove of greenery to be explored on a self-guided tour:

The Grand Canal, with its dimensions and perfect perspective designed by André Le Nôtre, and the pièce d'eau des Suisses, to be discovered at the southern end of the gardens and extending over 12 hectares.

The Trianon estate, so dear to Louis XIV. Discover the Petit and Grand Trianon, where Marie-Antoinette's imprint can also be seen. This is all the more evident in the Hameau de la Reine, a small country village.

André Le Nôtre's gardens are the beauty of Versailles. A stroll through them will reveal a thousand and one marvels, including fountains, water features and statues, culminating in the Grande Perspective, the axis of symmetry of the gardens that extends to the Grand Canal.

The Orangerie, under the Parterre du Midi, built in 1663 by Louis Le Vau, then enlarged by Jules Hardouin-Mansart. It features a magnificent variety of orange trees from Portugal, Spain and Italy, as well as lemon, oleander, palm and pomegranate trees. The gardens are open to the public only on guided tours, or exceptionally at night.

The Opéra Royal, designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel. Requested by Louis XIV, it was not completed until the reign of Louis XV, and was inaugurated in 1770 for the wedding of the future Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette.

A word of advice: before coming to visit the complex, choose the main parts you wish to see, get your tickets in advance, put on your sneakers and arrive early! And don't hesitate to come back again and again to enjoy the site from every angle.