The Fountains of Versailles are one of Versailles' main highlights. The 50 fountains and 620 water games are an integral part of the aesthetics desired by the Sun King and constituted a staging, a show that King Louis XIV used to glorify his reign.
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At its peak, there were 2,400 fountains in use at Versailles, including the fabulously complicated Machine de Marly that pumped water from the Seine. Today there are only fifty fountains still functioning and the mile-long Grand Canal supplies the never-ending supply of water required.
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.
Water displays of the Musical Fountains Showon 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.
Fourteen hydraulic wheels—each 33 feet in diameter—worked with 251 suction and treading pumps to push water uphill along a set of pipes and two other pumping stations to the Tour de Levant, the first of two towers anchoring the Louveciennes Aqueduct on each end.
lake of the swiss guardThe southern part of the gardens of Versailles was known for being rather damp, from stagnant water. In 1679 work started to excavate a large lake of 12 hectares to replace a pond referred to as “the Old Pond”; the new lake was only fully dug out in 1686.
Take a Peek Inside. We're guessing Marie Antoinette's TripAdvisor review of the Château de Versailles would have been decidedly mixed (Pastry chef: okay; security against angry mobs: subpar; verdict: two stars).
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.
Visit during the weekOne 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.
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 !
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.
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. His times seem reasonable.