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Do the fountains at Versailles still work?

Most of the fountains are still opened manually by the hydrant men. During the Versailles Fountain Show, you will see them wandering around the fountains, and they still use the same keys to open and close the Fountains from the times of the Sun King!



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Water displays of the Musical Fountains Show on Tuesdays and some public holidays (Friday April 7th, Monday April 10th, Monday May 8th, Monday May 29th and Friday July 14th 2023) : from 10am to 6.45pm*, 5 minutes every 15 minutes.

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Every Saturday and Sunday from 1 April to 29 October 2023 (except 1 May) and some public holidays (Thursday 18 May et Tuesday 15 August 2023) The Musical Fountains Show invites visitors to stroll through the gardens of Versailles that the Sun King was so fond of.

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Water features of all kinds are an important part of French gardens, even more so than plant designs and groves. At Versailles, they include waterfalls in some of the groves, spurts of water in the fountains, and the calm surface of the water reflecting the sky and sun in the Water Parterre or the Grand Canal.

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One of the top ten most visited sites in France, the Château de Versailles gets its biggest crowds on the weekends and Tuesday mornings (it is closed on Mondays). So aim to visit between Wednesday and Friday. The result? Less waiting and a smoother visit around the palace.

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Unaccompanied visit of the Palace: Visitors to the Palace must book in advance and select a specific time slot. We highly recommend that visitors pre-book their tickets online.

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food and drinks are not allowed inside the museum; picnics are not allowed in the gardens. However, it is possible to have a picnic in the park.

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on weekends, Thursday May 18th, Tuesday August 15th : from 10am to 5pm then from 5.45pm to 6.45pm*, 5 minutes every 15 minutes. on Tuesdays and some public holidays (Friday April 7th, Monday April 10th, Monday May 8th, Monday May 29th and Friday July 14th 2023) : from 10am to 6.45pm*, 5 minutes every 15 minutes.

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You can skip the line for the audio guide at the palace by downloading the free app that houses all of the Versailles related audio guides in 11 different languages. To tour the inside of the palace thoroughly, it takes around 2-3 hours. Allow longer if you want to explore the gardens.

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Plan on two to three hours for the château, one hour for the gardens, and another two hours if you want to include the Domaine de Marie-Antoinette in your visit. Add two hours to cover your round-trip transit time, and it's a five- to ten-hour day trip from Paris.

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We suggest arriving right at opening time—if not a little before. If you did not pre-purchase Versailles admissions or a tour, avoid touring the palace in the late morning and afternoon, when crowds are at their peak.

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Within half a day, you will have the opportunity of discovering all the richness of the castle, visiting the Hall of Mirrors and the royal apartments inside, but also the famous French style gardens. We propose two visits each day, departure from Paris center. The ideal formula to discover Versailles in half a day !

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Avoid visiting on weekends and Tuesdays Tuesday is especially busy because other museums, like the world famous Louvre, is closed on Tuesdays, so visitors will flock to Versailles instead.

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A visit to the Palace of Versailles There are also dress codes that must be followed. No jeans, no sneakers, and no hats. If you are visiting in the summer, be prepared for some hot weather. Bring sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, and clothes that you can layer.

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There are several toilets and free changing tables for babies at your disposal all over the Estate. In the Palace, there are toilets and changing tables before the ticket checks in the South Ministers' Wing and after the ticket checks in the basement of the Dufour Pavilion (Entrance A).

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While the Palace of Versailles is open to the public, it is still a Royal Palace and visitors are expected to dress accordingly. This means no sandals, shorts, sleeveless shirts, or hats.

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Works on display in the permanent exhibition spaces may be photographed or filmed for private purposes, thus excluding all professional, collective or commercial uses which require the prior written permission of the President of the Establishment.

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No, a national identity card/passport, or a digital copy of it, is sufficient. Are the Palace Gardens open on Mondays? Yes, although the Palace and Trianon's Estate are closed, the Palace Gardens and the Park are open and admission is free.

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We left the Palace Grounds through a garden exit. If I remember right it was near the Neptune Fountain. We ate lunch in Versailles and then returned via the same gate with no problems. It was a musical gardens day so we re-entered with our Garden Tickets.

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