Versailles, Paris

Louis XIV particularly liked the Trianon and would stay there in the summer for short “holidays” close to the castle of Versailles but away from the strict obligations of the royal court. He occupied there successively three apartments.
The room in the left wing is particularly elegant. It is preceded by a large cabinet called Mirror Room.
After Louis XIV the room was occupied by the Grand Dauphin. With the Revolution the pieces of furniture of the Trianon were dispersed. It is the emperor Napoleon I who restored and arranged this palace. The former room of King Louis XIV became the room of the empress Marie-Louise. The bed was ordered by Napoleon for the Palace des Tuileries.
Later king Louis Philippe (1830 - 1848) had this bed widened and transferred to the Grand Trianon for him and queen Marie-Amélie. The back of the bed carries the letters LP topped by a crown.

This room is often called "Room of the Empress"; furniture is from the Empire and Louis Philippe period but the mural decoration is generally that of the time of Louis XIV.

I always liked malachite (hydrated copper carbonate if my mineralogy souvenirs are right) it is thus with great pleasure that I discovered this “Salon des Malachites” in the right wing (room n° 13) of the Grand Trianon.
In the beginning it was the “Cabinet of Sunset” of Louis XIV, then the bedroom of the duchess of Burgundy and finally the drawing-room of emperor Napoleon I.
The blocks of malachite, extracted of the Ural Mountains, were offered to Napoleon by the tsar Alexander I after the signature of the treaty of Tilsitt. It should be known that at the time malachite was a Russian speciality. There is at the Palace of St-Petersburg another famous malachite room.
The furniture elements with malachite were created by Percier and realised by Jacob-Desmalter in 1809. The basin, the candelabra and the pieces of furniture with malachite top were initially at the Palais des Tuileries before they were moved to decorate this room of the Grand Trianon.
The remainder of the furniture of the room is decorated with fabrics of red colour what causes a seizing contrast with the green malachite.

By itself this small artificial cave located between the "Belvedere" and the "Orangerie" (N° 9 on the tourist map of the “Field of Marie-Antoinette”) has nowadays nothing charming but the Queen liked to take refuge there near the small pond which is overlooked by the "Belvedere".

She was indeed in the cave on this afternoon of October 5th, 1789 when a page brought a message announcing that the Parisian rioters, mainly women and some revolutionary leaders disguised as women, were marching on Versailles and that she was requested at the castle. King Louis XVI had been meanwhile found in the woods where he was hunting as usual.
Some members of the royal council advised them to flee Versailles but the King, as always, hesitated.

It was the last day in Versailles of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette. The beginning of their tragic end.

Le Petit Trianon, after restoration works, is again open for interior visits since 22/07/2008. (I was lucky to arrive just on the first day of opening).
Please note that like the other parts of the "Domaine de Marie-Antoinette" Grand Trianon, etc. the Petit Trianon is closed in the morning and opens only at 12 h till 18 h.

Le Petit Trianon, longtemps fermé en raison d'importants travaux de restauration est enfin ouvert. Le 17/07/2008 un ami français me signalait que le Petit Trianon était encore fermé; par chance le mardi 22/07 lors de ma visite il venait d'ouvrir. Les ouvriers retiraient leurs machines et matériaux et il y avait déjà foule de visiteurs. Comme les autres parties du Domaine de Marie-Antoinette ce palais n'ouvre qu'à partir de 12 h.

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Just back from a visit to Versailles (22/07/2008) I observed that a number of information given on the official website is not actual anymore.
When you pass the exterior gate you will have on the left (photo 1) a panel indicating < Billets - Tickets > where you have to buy your ticket (this is unchanged). On the right of that panel stands one with indication < A > this entrance is for all individuals having a ticket or a Paris museum pass (photo 2 at 4 pm.).
There is no gate C anymore for the Paris Museum Pass in contradiction with what your will read on the Paris museum pass and previous info from Versailles website. On the extreme right is the entrance for groups.
As more and more visitors buy their ticket in advance you find already a line at 9 hour at the opening at the gate . Here visitors pass in a prefab "pavilion" with 3 detector frames (photo 3). They check your bag.
From here you can go where you want, usually the circuit of the "Château de Versailles" with the highlights "Galerie des Glaces" and "Chambre du Roi".

The crowds at the Château de Versailles attain a maximum in summer season, by nice weather (no fun to visit the kilometres of gardens in the rain), and on Tuesday when the Louvre is closed.
Don't think that there will be no lines in the late afternoon. My pic n°4 shows a 200 m line for buying tickets at 16.30 h but on an exceptional sunny day.

These fountains are very famous and you dont want to miss it, after going all the way to see the palace. Since there is a separate entrance fee for the gardens. The fountains are in operation for 2/3 times a day....at 11:00am and 3:00pm during the srping. The inner ones goes for only 45 minutes and the outer ones for 1 hour, so first try to walk around the musical fountains on the inside and then see the outer ones. Dont miss these....
'The Latona Fountain', which is the very first one on the center - It illustrates the legend of the mother Diana and Apollo protecting her children against the insults of the peasants of Lycia and demanding vengeance of jupiter, changing them in frog. Surrounded by the Lizard Fountain, the Latona Fountain, constructed under Louis XIII, was modies by J.H. Mansart between 1687 & 1689.
'The Fountains of Apollo's Chariot' - The Apollo's chariot, dug under the reign of Louis XIII and fitted out under Louis XIV who had the magnificient group represent "Apollo on his Chariot" installed, later created by Tuby from drawings by Lebrun. 3 majestic fountains rise from this pool, the central jet reaching a height of 20 meters.

And other fountains - Neptune Fountain

Versailles - is one of beautiful placeses around the world. Go early to avoid the queues. when time we reached around 8:55am in the morning, the queue was little big...means there were around 50 people before us. buy the tickets for both the Gardens and the palace. Since the garden fountains are the famous ones and off course the palace. You dont need a guide for the palace, since they give year phones along with the selective languages. Dont miss out the garden fountains, its operative only during 2/3 times a day...i think its 11:00am and 3:00pm during the spring time. The main fountains are in operational for 1 hour, but the interiors are only for 45 minutes, so first get into the interiors and then go to the bigger ones at the enterance and at the last. We missed this, due to unawareness.

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Before arriving at Versailles stop at the Gift Shop where they sell the tickets to get in, and buy them there. Because once you get to the castle the line will be huge! No matter the season. Once you buy the tickets just go to the entrance and give them your ticket. (Beats waiting hours in line ) : )