I continue with nostalgia and great memorable moments in my blog. This is Versailles my kind of town, know very well, lived here!! This is back of the Grand Canal of the Château de Versailles where you all need to walk more and see more of this wonderful place and City ; many nice memorable moments for us as a family. Again, I have found older pictures new to the blog of the park back way back of the crowds into magnificent domaine of Versailles I am a proud friend of the palace since 2004. This time let me tell you about its wonderful alleys of the Grand Parc of the Domaine of Versailles !!!. Hope you enjoy it as I.
Classified in the top 10 of the most visited sites in France, the Château de Versailles or Palace of Versailles is experiencing a peak in the weekends and Tuesdays morning (the day after the closing day). So program your visit from Wednesday to Friday. And even better on Thursday mornings me said,
The Grand Canal was set up between 1668 and 1679, the most original creation of André Le Nôtre. With its 23 ha, its 60 meters wide, its 1700 meters in the east-west sense and its 1000 meters in the north-south direction, it allows to observe with one look the beauty and the greatness of the domain. The park is accessible every day from 8h to 20h30 in high season (from April to October). Last access: 19h for vehicles and 20h for pedestrians. The park is accessible from 8h to 18h in low season (from November to March). Last access: 17h30, Parking spaces (accessible by paying an entrance fee by the Grille de la Reine or the Porte Saint-Antoine, our favorite) are available at the Grand Canal, at the entrance to the Petit Trianon,(our favorite parking spot), the Grand Trianon and the Hameau de la Reine.
After the French revolution, only the Allée de Villepreux remained open until the 19C. It is also the most important and the most emblematic, located in the perspective of the King’s Chamber, 5 km long and 97meters wide, bordered on each side of two alignments of Ormes. In the 20C, it remained only a long rural path, the Allée du Hâ-Hâs begins to the south on the Allée de Bailly (my pictures) ,and ends around 700 meters north on the allée du Rendez-Vous
By the old Porte de Bailly in the back near the current town of Bailly, there is the Allée de Bailly, a traffic lane of the Versailles gardens , a wonderful spot for us to come to the Domaine de Versailles , It begins to the northwest beyond the allée de la Ceinture ,and ends around 2,300 meters south-east in front of the Grand Canal. It has a length of 1840 meters, Here you have wonders that visitors need to see more and more time in the Domaine ! The promenade thus declines the chiaroscuro, opening-fermeture, close and distant games. You have to let yourself be flooded with light, enjoy this absence of limits, feel its small place in space before finding the beneficial shadow, the reassuring capacity of the afforestation, the familiar rustling of leaves, insects and birds. The park, at the bend of aisles and forest plots, offers all possible meanders to these experiences. A little lost in its wanderings, the walker will always regain the benchmark for an alignment of trees. Large aisles will often renew him towards the Grand Canal, from which he can resume his course. The parking lot is authorized by Bailly for cars only ,Parking at the Hameau de la Reine is authorized for cars only (paying access by the Grille de la Reine and the Porte Saint Antoine). Our way in love it sublime !!!
I like to tell you more on the Porte Saint Antoine , as found me the older new pictures will tell you a bit more here, This was our favorite entrance less crowded either by car or walking in ! While we lived for almost 10 years in the City ! The Allée Saint-Antoine is a traffic lane of the Versailles gardens It begins south in front of the Grand Canal, and ends approximately 1,350 meters north on boulevard Saint-Antoine, where the Arc de Triomphe de la Porte Saint-Antoine is located and official name This boulevard is also name the road D186 when arriving through the Le Chesnay, the Porte Saint Antoine provides access to the Domaine de Versailles Park, and just after entering on the right side the Plaine Saint Antoine is accessible for picnics, we love it !!!.
During one of his visits to the hamlet, King Louis XVI decided to create a triumphal arch at the entrance to the estate, at the edge of the Bois des Onze Arpents, at the north end of the Allée de Saint-Antoine; The construction of this new Porte Saint-Antoine (my entry gate to the domaine and see full post) ended in June 1787 and was ornated with a lion’s body, emblem of the King.The place is completely enclosed by grates and ditches; It enters from the Trianon either by a covered and sinuous road, which allows to discover with surprise the smallest houses, either by the edge of the Bois des Onze Arpents and a meadow with light slopes forming tiny waterfalls, which offers a plunging view on the main house and the village of Saint-Antoine.
The official Château de Versailles on the access : https://bienvenue.chateauversailles.fr/fr/vue-generale/bienvenue-a-versailles
The Versailles tourist office on visiting the castle : https://en.versailles-tourisme.com/visit-estate-versailles.html
The Yvelines dept 78 tourist office on Versailles : https://www.destination-yvelines.fr/versailles-soleil-des-yvelines/
The Île de France region tourist office on Versailles castle : https://www.visitparisregion.com/en/chateau-de-versailles
There you go folks, the grandeur of France before your eyes, yes crowded, yes busy, but you are still coming and for a good reason. There is no other castle/palace/museum , and a lot more, that can equal it for architecture, history and just a beautiful property. My Versailles. Again, hope you enjoy the post on the Grand Parc of the Domaine of Versailles as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 