Generally considered some of the most lavish royal residences in all of Europe, the grounds and buildings at Versailles have existed for close to three hundred and fifty years. While Louis XIII built a small hunting lodge on the site in 1623, the landscape is most closely associated with the Sun King, his son, Louis XIV. The status of Versailles was solidified in 1682 when it became the official residence of the Court of France, effectively supplanting the palaces at the Louvre and Saint-Germain-en-Laye. The official web site offers some helpful photographic essays about the buildings and grounds, most notably 360 degree panoramas of the Hall of Mirrors and the King's Bedchamber. Finally, there is detailed information about visiting the grounds and buildings in France, along with opening and closing hours.
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