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Versailles - The Gardens

Versailles, Ile-de-France, France

The main fountain and gardens of Versailles

The Gardens of Versailles are located just behind The Palace of Versailles. The gardens are nicely maintained, and contain a number of flowers and fountains, but the main attraction with the gardens is their size. They are absolutely huge! One could easily spend three hours at the gardens, looking at all the fountains and other installations. When we visited, there was classical music playing throughout the gardens. It was very fitting, and made for a very enjoyable visit.

The gardens consist of a number of "installations" - either fountains, sculptures, or nicely maintained areas of flowers. These installations are connected by walkways lined with tall hedges. Sometimes it's a bit of a maze to get to where you want to go, since the walkways don't always go in straight lines. The gardens are very large, so if you get tired of walking, bike rentals are also available for an additional charge.

The Fountains

One of the many fountains in the Gardens of Versailles

The fountains, while very pretty, operate on a very strange schedule. On days when the fountains are running, they only run for a couple hours each day, and even then, only in certain areas of the gardens. For example, the fountains on the north side could run for 45 minutes, followed by the fountains on the south side for 45 minutes, followed by a 3-hour break. The schedule wasn't printed anywhere, and it was difficult to find out when particular fountains would be running.

Cost

Admission to the gardens is included with most tickets to the Palace. On some days, when the fountains are running, there is a small additional charge to access the gardens. This charge is also included in some Palace tickets, or in the Paris Museum Pass. There are also a number of overpriced cafes located throughout the gardens.

Estimated Visiting Time

Expect to spend around 3 hours walking around the gardens if you want to see all the fountains and other installations.