Feel our top 5 sensory experiences in Versailles…
See the weekend repertory show at the National Equestrian Academy. Combining dressage with singing, fencing, kyudo (Japanese archery) and dance, it’s followed by a tour of the stables.
Hear an opera or ballet at the Opéra Royal or a play at the Théâtre Montansier. The opera house reopened in 2009 following extensive renovation. Writer Molière is often celebrated at the theatre and a dedicated festival takes place in Versailles throughout June.
Smell perfumes at the Osmothèque, the world’s largest scent archive and a leading research institution tracing the history of perfumery. It is entitled to ask for the formula of every new fragrance marketed in France.
Taste *macarons d’Antoinette***,** beautiful pale pink confections said to be the favourite of Marie Antoinette.
Touch fresh produce at the Notre-Dame market, created at the same time as the château. Open-air stalls overflow with cheese, herbs, seafood, snails seasoned with garlic and truffles just snuffled from the ground.
Versailles (External link) is best known for [its splendid UNESCO-listed château](http://en.versailles-tourisme.com/explore/palace (External link) visits/palace-versailles), commissioned by Louis XIV in the 17th century and one of France’s most prominent historical and artistic treasures, set in beautiful gardens (External link) designed by André Le Notre. But Versailles itself is worth a visit, reflecting Paris’ architectural elegance with a pleasant small-town atmosphere. It contains some notable gems in its own right: the St-Louis and Notre-Dame cathedrals, the Musée Lambinet which recounts the town’s history, the Théâtre Montansier, an extensive open-air market – considered one of the best in Île-de-France – and numerous antique dealers and art galleries.
Getting to Versailles
By air: Paris Charles-de-Gaulle or Orly airports
By train: RER C from central Paris
By car: A13 from central Paris (20km)
Further information:Versailles Tourist Office2 bis, Avenue de Paris78000 VersaillesTel: +33 (0)1 39 24 88 88http://en.versailles-tourisme.com/ (External link)