Mona Lisa Smile
If you’ve been following me on the blog, you’ve read and seen so much of my adventures in France. I’m so excited to finally share my experience viewing the Mona Lisa (among other unbelievable works of art) at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France!
For my first time in France, there were certain attractions I knew I had to visit and the Louvre Museum was at the top of the list. Our travel agent booked us a private tour guide for a day at the museum, with the recommendation to arrive early to take in as many sites as possible during our limited time. Our French-born, English-speaking tour guide picked us up from our hotel promptly at 8:00 am and it was so convenient because we didn’t have to stress about navigating ourselves in a foreign city!
The tour guide was phenomenal, he knew the best place to park, the best entrance to use to access the Louvre, where and how to check our coats, and so much more. I cannot recommend tour guides enough.
Up Close and Personal with The Mona Lisa
Because our tour guide was a seasoned pro, he knew that the Mona Lisa needed to be the first stop on our Louvre visit. As the most visited site in the Louvre, the Mona Lisa can get packed with visitors. Since we arrived at the Louvre right at opening AND we made it our first stop, we were essentially able to view the famous Mona Lisa by ourselves (at least for a minute or 2).
Bucket List Item Checked Off!
Viewing the Mona Lisa up close and personal with my husband was truly a bucket list experience that I’ll be forever grateful for. The painting itself was much smaller than I imagined but it is beautiful nonetheless. Please be sure to check my IG page to see more photos and videos of my time with the Mona Lisa.
Thanks For Reading!
Thank you so much for reading and I hope that you’ll stick around for more of my time at the Louvre!
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A Trip to Versailles Palace
While planning my birthday trip to Paris, a tour of the Palace of Versailles was definitely on my must-do list! Our fantastic travel agent (Travel Designs by Judy) booked us a full-day, 8-hour excursion to the palace and it was a true bucket-list experience! To learn more about our experience using a travel agent AND our other Parisian experiences, please visit my blog post all about Le Cordon Bleu.
The Palace of Versailles is located in the city of Versailles, about 12 miles southwest of the Paris city center. Our travel agent arranged a private guide/driver throughout our stay in France so getting to Versailles from our Paris hotel was no problem.
A Quick History Lesson
Louis XIII originally commissioned Versailles as a hunting lodge in 1624. After taking the throne, his son, Louis XIV wanted to establish Versailles as the seat of the French government, meaning the Court of Versailles would reside there.
Between 1661 and 1715 the hunting lodge underwent major renovations to become one of the largest palaces in the world. The Palace of Versailles became the center of political power in France and a symbol of absolute monarchy.
Versailles: A Palace Fit For a King & Queen
The most well-known residents of The Palace of Versailles were King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette. Louis XVI was the last king of France. He ruled from 1774 until 1792 when the French Revolution stripped the King & Queen of their power and led to their beheadings.
After the French Revolution, the palace was in the hands of the new government and much of the remaining furnishing and artwork were sold or donated to the Louvre. The palace had been looted during the revolution and many of the artifacts had been destroyed.
In 1837 The Palace of Versailles was reopened as the Museum of the History of France. A major historic event took place in the palace in 1919. The signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919, solidified the end of World War I and took place inside the Hall of Mirrors.
Visiting Versailles
We were fortunate to have a private tour guide during our visit to Versailles. Our tour guide was a native Parisian and he was so fantastic! His knowledge of the history of Versailles was incredible and he was so good, other visitors were asking HIM questions about the palace! An added bonus, we were able to skip the line to get inside the palace because our guide knew some key people!
The Palace of Versailles consists of four main areas:
- The Main Palace
- The Gardens & Park of Versailles
- The Estate of Trianon & the Queen’s Hamlet
- The Royal Stables
We were lucky enough to tour all of the areas of Versailles except the Royal Stables. During our visit in November, the stables were closed to the public.
There is so much to see and share about Versailles, I have limited this post to just the Palace. Be on the lookout for future posts about the Gardens, Trianon, and the Queen’s Hamlet.
Touring the Main Palace
The Palace of Versailles is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it truly must be seen to be believed! The Palace contains 2,300 rooms spread over almost 680,000 square feet. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes and have your phone/camera ready! The over-the-top opulence is going to leave you breathless I promise!
Highlights of Versailles Palace
The Royal Chapel – The Royal Chapel is where the court gathered every morning at 10 am for the King’s mass. It is two-story absolutely beautiful.
King’s State Apartments – The King’s State Apartments feature 7 elaborate rooms which include the Venus room, Diana room, Mars room, Mercury room (the room where Louis XIV coffin was on display after his death), the Apollo room (used as the throne room beginning in 1682), the War room, and the Peace room.
The Hall of Mirrors
The Hall of Mirrors is the most popular room in The Palace of Versailles. The 240-foot-long hall is lined with 17 arches and comprised of 357 small mirrors. The artwork lining the halls speaks to the history of France. The Hall of Mirrors served as a daily passageway between the King & Queens state apartments.
Final Thoughts
The Palace Of Versailles is a study of over-the-top opulence and I loved every minute of it! Be sure to include a day trip to Versailles on your Paris visit. If I’m fortunate enough to visit Paris in the spring, I’ll definitely come back to see the gardens of Versailles in bloom. I’d love to hear from any of you that may have visited Versailles, what was your favorite experience? Thanks for reading and I hope this post inspires you to visit The Palace of Versailles!
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