Day 18 | Palace of Versailles

Day 18, Paris—Today we visited the Chateau (or Palace) of Versailles. This is one of my favorite places in the Paris area that I’ve seen. On our way there we walked by Place de la Concorde and even saw a distant view of the Eiffel Tower. Today was another long walking day...just over nine miles.

Chateau of Versailles—King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette lived here until the French Revolution....they were the last royal family who lived here.

The gardens of the palace seem like they go on forever. They are huge and so beautiful! I would love to experience it in the springtime with all the pretty blooms, but this was still an amazing experience.

The Chateau de Versailles includes the main palace, a smaller palace where Marie Antoinette and their kids spent a lot of time, and then some smaller farm houses that she wanted so she could try to enjoy what it was like living a smaller life. This was her Hamlet.

Versailles lived through a lot, the French Revolution, the world wars, terrible storms, and now after a lot of work it is a beautiful place for the world to enjoy art and a part of history. A few Americans even played a role in bringing it back to life. John D. Rockefeller, an American billionaire, remembered how Louis XVI played a significant role in the American War of Independence and made two large donations to help with renovating the palace. Now we get to enjoy its beauty and history today!

On our morning walk to Versailles, we walked by Place de la Concorde. It was created in 1772 and was originally known as the place of execution for king Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, and others. It was redesigned from 1836-1846 and is now the largest (and seemingly the busiest) square in Paris.