Twenty kilometres southwest of Paris, the royal town of Versailles is renowned for the Château de Versailles, the enormous palace built for Louis XIV which is today one of the most visited monuments in France. It was inspired by the young Louis XIV's envy of his finance minister's Château at Vaux-le-Vicomte, a construction which he was determined to outdo. He recruited the design team of Vaux-le-Vicomte – architect Le Vau, painter Le Brun and gardener Le Nôtre – and ordered something a hundred times the size. Versailles is the apotheosis of French regal indulgence, and even if the extravagant, self-aggrandizing decor of the "Sun King" is not to your liking, the palace's historical significance and anecdotes will enthral, and its park is a delight.
Pages in section ‘Versailles’: Palace, Park.
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