On Saturday evenings between June and October the Palace of Versailles comes alive at night as we can imagine it would have done under Louis XIV, when lavish balls and parties were held in the magnificent gardens. Baroque music is played across the gardens, the fountains are switched on and the gardens and exterior of the palace are illuminated. The evening ends with a firework display.
Seeing Versailles lit up in all its splendour on a warm summer’s night is really something special. Make sure you buy your tickets in advance.
Les Grandes Eaux Nocturnes Versailles official website (English)
Take the RER C from central Paris to Versailles Rive Gauche Chateau
The King’s vegetable garden, or ‘Potager du Roi’ was built in Versailles in 1683 at the request of Louis XIV, and the food grown here was used to feed the king and court. The King would enter by the golden gate leading into the park of the palace, and would bring friends to see the fruit trees, which he was particularly proud of. Approximately 450 varieties of fruit and 400 varieties of vegetables are cultivated here, including many ancient and rare varieties.
It’s a short walk from the Chateau, passing via rue de Satory you will also find many restaurants and cafés.
Le Potager du Roi, 10 rue du Marechal Joffre, 78000 Versailles. RER C to Versailles Rive Gauche Château
April – October: Tuesday – Sunday 10:00 – 18:00 / November – March: Tuesday and Thursday 10:00 – 18:00
Just opposite the chateau, built by Jules Hardouin-Mansart in 1682 and reputed to be the most beautiful in the world, the royal stables used to house the school for the royal page boys, a high honour reserved for sons of the military nobility. Here they would learn how to be perfect gentlemen – horse riding, fencing, dance, music and drawing, as well as military skills.
The stables also housed and trained the king’s 600 horses. Completely restored and remodeled, today they are home to the world famous Academy of Equestrian Arts, founded in 2003 by Bartabas.
They put on shows every Saturday and Sunday, check details and reserve here
The carriage museum is housed in the Royal Stables at Versailles. Just opposite the palace, it allows us a glimpse into another, often overlooked aspect of life at the royal courts, how the royal court got about in a time before cars. It’s home to magnificent carriages, golden sedan chairs, beautiful harnesses for the horses and even sleighs used by the ladies to ride around the gardens in winter.
Les Grandes Ecuries, avenue Rockefeller, 78000 Versailles
The Marché Notre Dame in Versailles was created more than 300 years ago by Louis XIV. Nowadays it is a wonderful place to shop for food, with covered market halls dating back to the 19th century that are open every day except Mondays, and a large and lively outdoor food market in the centre of the quadrangle of halls on Friday and Sunday mornings. The food is fresh, seasonal and often comes from local producers. It’s a great way to experience the atmosphere of a small town French provincial market, just a stone’s throw away from Paris.
We recommend you buy a picnic at the market and take it into the nearby park of the Palace of Versailles. There are also plenty of fantastic cafés and bistros around the market where you can enjoy a delicious lunch before or after a visit to the palace.
Marche Notre Dame, 78000 Versailles. Covered market open Tuesday – Saturday 07:00 – 19:30 and Sunday 07:00 – 14:00. Open air food market Tuesday, Friday and Saturday 07:00 – 14:00
We fell madly in love with the palace’s glitter and glory many years ago. Ever since, each time we return, that love deepens: How could the splendid Hall of Mirrors not captivate? How could the sheer number of thousands of rooms not dazzle ? Yet each chamber possesses its individual and intricate detail that set it apart from all the others. These are the secrets that our guides can share, letting you in on the enchantment Versailles has cast over visitors for centuries.
With a Memories guide, you too will soon be fascinated, as they conjure forth bygone eras with their in-depth knowledge, bringing a time now lost to life in a way that will linger long after your return back to reality. Each tour is designed as a bespoke experience that will carry you on a journey into a period of splendor and elegance, an immersion into the Versailles world and the courtiers and Kings who called it home.
Such an extraordinary monument calls for more than a mere guide but a true storyteller, and that is exactly what Memories offers. Our expert understanding of the palace’s history, art and architecture will keep you enthralled for the time you spend in with us and with the past figures who once lived there. We make a point of turning a guided tour into an experience as intimate as it is enriching, in which our guests enjoy special access and personalized attention. You deserve to feel your own connection with the old Versailles magic and it is a point of pride with us that in our care, you will.
When you join us on a tour of Versailles, you become part of our story. When the spark of wonder brightens our guests’ eyes as they explore this magnificent palace and its gardens, as it inevitably does, then we know we’ve done the job we set out to do.
When you choose us as the ones who will show you an unforgettable Versailles, to share our love for it with you, we accept with the deepest gratitude. We thank you for that trust and cannot wait to welcome you to this astonishing place, helping you fashion your own unique memories there.