How do the fountains work in Versailles?

At Versailles, the fountain complex ordered by King Louis XIV used a vast, complicated and highly expensive system of 14 huge wheels, each more than 30 feet in diameter, powered by the current of a branch of the river Seine. A river current is just another manifestation of the power of gravity.



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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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Access to the Palace and the estate of Trianon is free for visitors under 18 (or under 26 residing in the EU).

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It's difficult to believe today when gazing at the gleaming golden palace, but life at Versailles was actually quite dirty. There were no bathrooms as we would know them. Courtiers and royalty used decorative commodes in each room, while commoners simply relieved themselves in the hallways or stairwells.

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Visit during the week So aim to visit between Wednesday and Friday. The result? Less waiting and a smoother visit around the palace.

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At Versailles, the fountain complex ordered by King Louis XIV used a vast, complicated and highly expensive system of 14 huge wheels, each more than 30 feet in diameter, powered by the current of a branch of the river Seine. A river current is just another manifestation of the power of gravity.

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Disease Riddled the Court Louis XIV (1638–1715) was known to have only bathed three times in his entire life. Although the palace of Versailles had running water and numerous baths, there was a common belief that water spread disease, so the less you bathed, the safer you were.

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While it smells fine now, hygiene practices (or the lack thereof) in France during Louis XIII's reign meant that the palace smelled like urine, fecal matter, and more. Some claim that a lack of toilets in the palace even led some visitors to relieve themselves behind curtains and pillars.

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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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The fountains are spread out over a huge space with a palace as their backdrop and a grand canal in the forefront. I don't think march 31 would be as crowded as July, but even if it was, I'd go. I think that Versailles is at it's most beautiful when the fountains are on!

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The children of the King could only claim a stool in their father's presence. Princesses of the blood were generally entitled to a chair with a back but not to one with arms. Cardinals could sit on a sofa when a prince of the blood was in the room but if the Queen entered he had to move to a stool.

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Rates at Airelles Château de Versailles, Le Grand Contrôle start at $2,077 per night and include a dedicated butler, daily tours of the Château de Versailles, breakfast, and afternoon tea. This story was originally published on October 19, 2019, and was updated on June 2, 2021 to include current information.

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Delicious, elegant, quite breakfast... worth the price of admission!

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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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