Our Planet’s Landmarks Series #26
Chateau de Versailles (Palace of Versailles)
‘We have the ticket. Should we go straight to the entry gate?’ I asked.
‘All have a ticket,’ answered the queue-minding security person.
‘All? There must be a few hundred people in the queue. It is looping over and over. It will take at least 2 hours to get in!’ Incredulity
He shrugged and walked off.
We had bought the tickets beforehand from our hotel’s concierge. Reaching Versailles-Rive Gauche in an RER C Yellow Line train, we took a short walk to Château de Versailles. And, we ran into this summertime sea of humanity at the Château’s entrance!
Enter the Chateau
The queue moved at a snail’s pace. As predicted, it took a little over 2 hours to get inside. From the entrance lobby, we stepped out into a quadrangle to our right. The real tour of the Château began from there.
As we entered the palace, the first significant chamber we saw was the Royal Chapel. Corinthian columns, gold accents, and an intricate ceiling mural gave it grandeur.
We passed through many royal bedchambers. Each decorated with priceless artworks, opulent artefacts, and rich-hued tapestry. The ceiling murals told elaborate stories in vibrant colours. And the fine work of gold-painted Plaster of Paris provided fitting frames to the murals.
A ceiling mural in the palace 
Another elaborate ceiling mural in the palace
Halls in Chateau de Versailles
As I stepped out of another extravagant palace room, I found myself in a huge hall. My audio guide told me it was the Hall of Mirrors. Its seventeen mirror-clad arches reflect the seventeen windows that overlook the gardens. I later learnt it is 73mts long. Its ceiling was over 10mts.
Ambient light poured in from the arched ceiling-height windows bathed the hall. Signing of many important treaties including the Treaty of Versailles happened here. The chandeliers, the ceiling mural, the lampshades, and the sculptures were breath-taking.
A few chambers later, I found myself in Hall of Battles. This one is 120mts long!
The walls of this hall have bronze tablets inscribed with names. Of princes, admirals, and warriors killed or wounded while fighting for France.
Additionally, there are large paintings depicting major military events in French history. There are no windows in the hall. But ample amount of ambient light fills it, thanks to a skylight running through the length of the hall.
The Gardens
I discovered there were a large number of spectacular gardens in the palace. These took 40 years to create. A grand canal bifurcates these gardens in perfect symmetry. This canal is over five and a half kilometres long.
Let’s check out some more facts that boggle the mind. There are 200,000 trees in these gardens. Their replanting happens every 100 years. Every year, the administration plants 210,000 flowering plants. The gardens have 50 fountains and 620 water jets. And the pipes feeding the water jets are over 35 km long.
A musical fountain in one of the gardens of Palace of Versailles 
The Orangerie in the Gardens of Palace of Versailles 
A columned verandah in one of the gardens of Palace of Versailles 
A statue in the gardens of Palace of Versailles. The Grand Canal forms the backdrop.
In Conclusion
The palace and its gardens are opulent,
It had taken a couple of centuries to add different sections to the palace. The art collection here is remarkable. Its corridors are replete with centuries of French history. UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in 1979. So, any reason why we may not have it included our planet’s landmarks series?
