Versailles Palace and Garden

Versailles was created in its entirety by the express will of Louis XIV to be the instrument of his government. The royal estate of Versailles was the main home of kings Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI during the XVIIth and the XVIIIth centuries. Today it is a new town and a model of town planning for many cities all over the world.

Closed during the revolution, it was transformed into a museum in the XIXth century by the last king to have reigned in France, Louis-Philippe Ist. Lunch will be taken in Restautant La Flotille, a restaurant which has served high quality traditional French cuisine since 1900.

After lunch, there will be free time to view the gardens, including The Petit Trianon or The Grand Trianon. The Petit Trianon is a lovely building next to the Grand Canal which was built in 1762 as a retreat for Louis 15th. Later it became a favourite retreat of Louis XVI's wife Marie Antoinette. In 1687, Louis XIV built The Grand Trianon - a small palace of stone and pink marble - to escape the rigors of court life, and to enjoy the company of his mistress, Madame de Maintenon.