JALAN JALAN PARIS - The Palace of Versailles

Palace of Versailles, a former French Royal Residence is a national landmark and a world heritage site . It is located in the city of Versailles about 16 kms west-southwest of Paris. Versailles exceeded my expectations. The Chateau is incredible, the paintings, furnishings, gilding, hall of mirrors and so on were amazing. 

Statue of Louis XIV

On arrival, I was upset to see so many people queuing up. The line was more than a mile long. I later found out that the jam was caused by the security checks at the entrance. It took almost an hour for us to reach the security check point.   

Gilded gate at the Versailles Palace

Central Court of the Palace 

 

Close-up pictures of the beautiful sculptures and art-works on the Palace walls.

Queuing up for for a pee - it took me about half an hour to reach the toilet. The toilet attendance was very unfriendly but mind you, without her directive, no one could enter even there were empty toilets! Perhaps, this was the French public toilet management all about.   

Another queue to enter the palace. 

The corridors in the Palace. 

Royal Chapel

The ceiling of the Royal Chapel.

Snapped some pictures in the "No camera zone".

 These could worth millions, 

 

 Spectacular treasures

It's difficult to move as the whole place was jammed with people. I had a good time enjoying so many historical arts and furnishings which I had never seen before.

Walking through the hall of mirrors.

The beauties in the ceiling

 A fascinating piece.

According to the guide book, the gardens cover some 800 hectacres of land, much of which is landscaped in the classic French garden. It's a must see for visitors, but I cancelled the garden trip as it started to rain. Beside it was cold and windy with a temperature below 10 degree Celsius.

 

Pictures of the gardens beside the palace. 

Overall it was a good experience to explore the the Château de Versailles. The tour to this  historical site could be a nightmare for some because of the long queue lines and limited toilets. If one could bear the cold during Winter and the heat in Summer, the lines and the toilet  then it would be an enjoyable walk to see the palace. Mind you, it's difficult to find food too. I found a small cafe just outside the Palace!

In my opinion, the palace of Versailles are not well organized for visitors - not user friendly. The French authorities need to take a hard look at how best to make the visitors comfortable. The queue lines, limited toilets and restaurants should be seriously addressed.