Once the capital of the kingdom of France, Versailles is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and still serves as one of the main administrative centres for both Paris and France. Thanks to its long history at the forefront of French politics and culture, Versailles has now become an important tourist destination and one that is well worth visiting on a trip to the French capital.

Of all the attractions in Versailles, the Palace of Versailles is the most famous. A royal chateau, the court of Versailles was once the controlling political power in France, its history connected to famous French royalty such as Louis XIV.

Although it began as just a hunting lodge, Louis XIV re-designed the chateau to become the beautiful palace it is today. Although it may be easy to think that the history of Versailles is limited to that of the 17th century, Versailles Palace has been the setting for many more recent historical achievements such as the signing of the Treaty of Versailles which saw the end to World War One.

The Palace of Versailles is open daily except for Mondays and is widely considered to be one of Paris’ most beautiful attractions. With 18,000 square metres of history to explore, the palace is sure to keep you entertained and educated in the depth of royal French history.

No trip to Versailles is completes without visiting the beautiful garden of Versailles. The sheer grandeur and scale to which Louis XIV designed the gardens can be a bit overwhelming for many visitors as they begin to understand just how luxurious a life the French royalty lived.

Those visiting the garden and palace of Versailles should schedule at least half a day of their trip in order to see everything properly. Or, should you wish to stay in Versailles rather than in the centre of Paris, it is possible to book into one of the many hotels in Versailles and make day trips into central Paris.

While there is so much to see in Versailles, indeed trying to see everything in the palace could take several days, it is not necessary to limit oneself just to Versailles. Thanks to Paris’ efficient public transport system getting across the city is no problem, and within just a few minutes you can be exploring such sights as the Eiffel Tower, the Cathedral de Notre Dame or just relaxing in some of Paris’ quaint side street cafes.