Located 21 km SW of Paris and 71 km NE of Chartres, Versailles developed around the 17th-century palace built by Louis XIV, the principal residence of the kings of France and the seat of the government for more than 100 years. Louis XIV was determined to outdo the palace at Vaux-le-Vicomte, so he hired architect La Vau, painter Le Brun and gardener Le Notre to build the largest palace in Europe. The result is a colossal palace surrounded by formal gardens, occupied until the Revolution of 1789.
Tourist Office2 bis avenue de ParisPhone: 33 1 39 24 88 88 Fax: 33 1 39 24 88 89