Reaching Versailles on this trip through Paris, I suddenly felt a sense of satisfaction, as if I'd truly seen all of Paris.
Having seen millennia of human civilization's treasures in the Louvre, experienced the faith and rebirth of the Middle Ages at Notre Dame, and gazed upon the steel romance of the industrial age beneath the Eiffel Tower, Versailles was a grand dream left behind by the most glorious era of French monarchy.
Upon entering, the main building of Versailles wasn't actually as large as I'd imagined. At least compared to the Louvre, which can leave one questioning their existence, its visitor flow was much clearer.
But it possessed another kind of breathtaking "massiness"—almost every square meter was a display of art.
Marble, gilding, sculptures, paintings, crystal chandeliers, tapestries, ceiling paintings… adorning everything from the doorways to the dome. The easiest mistake to make while walking inside is simply focusing on moving forward.
Because much of Versailles' true allure lies overhead.
👑 The Royal Chapel: A Stunning First Glance
The towering white Corinthian columns, the golden pipe organ, and the dome adorned with countless holy figures in the photo—this is the Royal Chapel, which I adore.
Built between 1689 and 1710, it was one of Louis XIV's most important architectural projects in his later years. The chapel is divided into two levels. The king and members of the royal family attended Mass on the second level, from the royal seat, while court members resided on the lower level; at that time, the royal court typically held the King's Mass here at 10:00 AM daily.
The most captivating feature is actually the ceiling.
At the center is Antoine Corapelle's "Holy Father in Glory," the semicircular apse features Charles de La Foresque's "Resurrection," and above the royal seat is Jean Jouverne's "Pente of the Holy Spirit." These three enormous ceiling paintings together form the "Holy Trinity."
Standing below and looking up, the white columns seem to stretch all the way to the sky depicted in the paintings.
At that moment, it was difficult to distinguish where the architecture ended and the paintings began.
Perhaps the most captivating aspect of Versailles is its seamless connection between the real world and the paradise depicted in paintings.
✨ Be sure to look up in the Hall of Mirrors; the real treasure lies in the ceiling frescoes.
Further inside, you finally reach Versailles' most famous space—the Hall of Mirrors.
The seemingly endless golden arcade in the photos is even more breathtaking in reality: 73 meters long, with 17 enormous arched windows facing the garden on one side and 17 sets of mirrored arcades opposite on the other, totaling 357 mirrors. Between 1678 and 1684, Jules Hardouin-Mansart transformed the open-air platform connecting the King and Queen's suites into the Hall of Mirrors we see today.
However, simply photographing the mirrors and chandeliers misses what I consider the most spectacular part of the Hall of Mirrors.
You absolutely must look up.
Charles Le Brun designed 30 frescoes on the vaulted ceiling, depicting the military, diplomatic, and political achievements of Louis XIV's first 18 years of reign through mythology and allegory. The clouds, warhorses, eagles, gods, goddesses, and battle scenes in the paintings constantly break through the boundaries of the real architecture, as if the roof has been opened, and the entire palace connects directly to the sky.
The ceiling paintings you photographed perfectly capture this feeling.
Therefore, I think the "ceiling paintings" of Versailles Palace cannot be simply understood as decoration.
They are actually a visual language: the Sun King not only wanted to rule the palace on earth, but also wanted to paint his glory into the sky.
🪞 Why are there so many mirrors in the Hall of Mirrors? They were much more expensive than we imagine today.
Now every home has a mirror, it's hard to imagine how awe-inspiring it must have been for people in the 17th century when they first entered this place.
At that time, the technology for manufacturing high-quality large mirrors was long controlled by Venice, and Versailles' use of 357 mirrors was actually a way of showing off that France's own manufacturing capabilities were enough to challenge Venice.
So during the day, sunlight from the gardens entered through 17 windows and was reflected back by the mirrors opposite; at night, candlelight was lit, and gold, crystal, and mirrors reflected each other.
The most luxurious aspect of Versailles Palace was never just "how much gold was used."
Rather, it allows architecture, painting, sculpture, light, and even the walking paths of people to participate in a performance about royal power.
The Hall of Mirrors later became a place that truly changed world history—in 1871, German Emperor Wilhelm I was proclaimed to the throne here; on June 28, 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was also signed here.
In the same hall, one witnessed the Sun King's court balls and the repeated changes in the European order.
This is the most fascinating aspect of the Hall of Mirrors.
☿ My favorite is the Mercury Salon, where even the king's sleeping was political.
Compared to the Hall of Mirrors, the **Mercury Salon** may not be as well-researched, but I particularly love this type of room.
This is the King's Grand Suite, named after Mercury in Roman mythology. Nominally a ceremonial bedroom, Louis XIV actually slept in his private suite; however, until 1701, the king's public rites of rising and going to bed were indeed held here, and courtiers were allowed to observe.
This is particularly helpful in understanding Versailles.
Sleeping, a most private matter, could become a power ritual in the Sun King's court.
Who could enter the room, who could stand closer, who had the right to participate in the king's rising, dressing, and sleeping—all represented status and favor.
So, as I walked among these red velvets, enormous beds, paintings, and crystal chandeliers, I suddenly realized: perhaps the truly expensive thing about Versailles wasn't gold, but rather "the proximity to the king."
🗿 The sculptures in the corridors, often overlooked, are particularly evocative of Versailles.
Another place I really enjoyed this time was the sculptures in the palace corridors.
Unlike the sculptures in the Louvre, each piece isn't viewed as an independent work of art, but rather as part of the architecture.
Busts and sculptures of classical mythology appear constantly in the corridors, niches, by windows, doorframes, and colonnades. Sunlight streams in through the high windows, suddenly gleaming the marble, then turning a corner into a room covered in gold and murals.
The feeling is truly magical: In the Louvre, you enter architecture to see art; in Versailles, often the architecture itself is art.
Even the trophies, shields, weapons, and sun motifs on the walls are not random decorations. For example, the War Room at one end of the Hall of Mirrors, designed by Le Brun, celebrates Louis XIV's military victories: marble walls are covered with gilded bronze weapons and trophies, while the central dome personifies France as a figure seated on clouds, surrounded by the goddess of victory.
Therefore, Versailles is worth exploring at a leisurely pace.
Sometimes, a single doorway is enough to occupy several minutes of attention.
🟥 The red rooms suddenly imbue the word "royal palace" with a sense of life. The red velvet walls, enormous portraits, gold frames, crystal chandeliers, and beds in the photos present a completely different Versailles.
The Hall of Mirrors is for the world to see.
These rooms, however, create a strange illusion—it seems as if the people of three hundred years ago have just left.
The room names at Versailles are also incredibly romantic: the Hercules Room, the Venus Room, the Diana Room, the Mars Room, the Mercury Room, the Apollo Room…
These names aren't just random borrowings from mythological figures. Apollo is the sun god, and Louis XIV used the sun as his central symbol; the Apollo Room thus served as the throne room. The Mars Room originally functioned as a guard room, and the Diana Room even had a pool table set up during court parties so guests could watch the king play.
Suddenly, I realized that Versailles wasn't always so stern.
They also listened to music, danced, played pool, and attended banquets.
It's just that everything was far more lavish than ordinary people's lives.
🏛️ Finally, returning to the Marble Courtyard, I discovered that it holds the earliest memories of Versailles.
The last photo shows the courtyard enclosed by red bricks, light-colored stone, gold window decorations, and a dark blue roof—this is the Marble Courtyard (Cour de Marbre), which I found particularly beautiful.
Compared to the Hall of Mirrors, it feels more restrained.
But it's incredibly important because it's one of the oldest and most central parts of Versailles. Official records indicate that the marble courtyard originated from a 1623 building by Louis XIII, while the famous black and white paving stones came from the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte. Later, Louis XIV continuously expanded Versailles, and in 1682 it officially became the seat of the French government.
So, standing in the center of the courtyard today and looking back, you discover a fascinating fact:
The Versailles that would later awe all of Europe with its grand palace actually grew slowly from this relatively small core.
This also explains why, after actually walking through it, I felt that "Versailles wasn't as big as I had imagined."
Its true astonishment isn't its size,
but its density.
A palace crammed with architecture, painting, sculpture, music, mythology, religion, politics, etiquette, and history.
Having reached this point in Paris, I feel truly fulfilled.
Notre Dame Cathedral showed me Paris of faith; the Louvre showed me Paris of civilization and art; Versailles showed me Paris of royalty and luxury; and the Eiffel Tower showed me Paris of industry and modernity.
These four places are practically the four most important faces of Paris.
Of course, Paris also has the Orsay, the Orangerie, Montmartre, the Opera, the Pantheon… it's impossible to truly "see everything."
But sometimes travel doesn't require checking off every attraction on the map.
Arriving at Versailles, I suddenly felt a sense of satisfaction, as if I'd truly seen all the Paris I needed to see.
Having seen millennia of human civilization's treasures at the Louvre, experienced medieval faith and rebirth at Notre Dame Cathedral, and gazed upon the steel romance of the industrial age at the Eiffel Tower, Versailles presented a grand dream left behind by the most glorious era of French royalty.
Once inside, the main buildings of Versailles weren't as large as I'd imagined. At least compared to the Louvre, which can leave one questioning their existence, its visitor flow was much clearer.
But it possesses another kind of breathtaking "massiness"—almost every square meter is a display of art.
Marble, gilding, sculptures, paintings, crystal chandeliers, tapestries, ceiling paintings…the decoration extends from the doorframes to the dome. The easiest mistake to make while walking inside is simply focusing on moving forward.
Because much of Versailles' true allure lies overhead.
👑 The Royal Chapel: A Stunning First Glance
The towering white Corinthian columns, the golden pipe organ, and the dome composed of countless sacred figures in the photo—this is the Royal Chapel, which I adore.
Built between 1689 and 1710, it is one of Louis XIV's most important architectural projects of his later years. The chapel is divided into two levels; the king and members of the royal family attended Mass in the royal seats on the second level, while court members resided on the lower level; at that time, the royal Mass was usually held here at 10 a.m. daily.
The most worthwhile sight is actually the ceiling.
At the center is Antoine Koiper's "The Father in Glory," the semicircular apse features Charles de La Foresque's "The Resurrection," and above the royal throne is Jean Jouverne's "Pente of the Holy Spirit." These three enormous ceiling frescoes together form the "Holy Trinity."
Standing below and looking up, the white stone columns seem to stretch all the way to the sky depicted in the paintings.
At that moment, it's difficult to distinguish between architecture and painting.
Perhaps the most captivating aspect of Versailles is that it connects the real world with the paradise depicted in paintings.
✨ Be sure to look up in the Hall of Mirrors; the real treasure is actually the ceiling frescoes.
Further inside, you finally reach Versailles' most famous space—the Hall of Mirrors.
The seemingly endless golden gallery in the photos is even more breathtaking in reality: 73 meters long, with 17 enormous arched windows facing the garden on one side and 17 sets of mirrored arcades opposite on the other, totaling 357 mirrors. Between 1678 and 1684, Jules Hardouin-Mansart transformed the open-air platform connecting the King's and Queen's suites into the Hall of Mirrors we know today.
But if you only photograph the mirrors and chandeliers, you're missing what I consider the most spectacular part of the Hall of Mirrors.
You absolutely must look up.
Charles Le Brun designed 30 paintings on the vaulted ceiling, depicting the military, diplomatic, and political achievements of Louis XIV's first 18 years on the throne in mythological and allegorical ways. The clouds, warhorses, eagles, gods, goddesses, and war scenes in the paintings constantly push the boundaries of the real architecture, as if the roof has been opened up, and the entire palace connects directly to the sky.
The photos you took of the ceiling paintings capture this feeling exceptionally well.
Therefore, I think the "ceiling paintings" of Versailles Palace cannot be simply understood as decoration.
They are actually a visual language: The Sun King not only wanted to rule the palaces on earth, but also wanted to paint his glory into the sky.
🪞 Why are there so many mirrors in the Hall of Mirrors? They were far more expensive back then than we imagine today.
Now every home has a mirror, so it's hard to imagine the awe people must have felt when they first entered this place in the 17th century.
At that time, Venice had long controlled the manufacture of high-quality, large mirrors, and Versailles' use of 357 mirrors was, in effect, a display of France's manufacturing capabilities, a challenge to Venice's.
So, during the day, sunlight streamed into the gardens through 17 windows, only to be reflected back by the mirrors opposite; at night, candlelight illuminated the interplay of gold, crystal, and mirrors.
The most extravagant aspect of Versailles was never just the sheer amount of gold used.
It was that it involved architecture, painting, sculpture, light, and even the walking paths of people in a performance about royal power.
The Hall of Mirrors later became a place that truly changed world history—Khalil I, Emperor of the German Empire, was crowned here in 1871; the Treaty of Versailles was also signed here on June 28, 1919.
In the same hall, one witnessed the Sun King's court balls and the repeated shifts in the European order.
This is the most captivating aspect of the Hall of Mirrors.
☿ My favorite room is the Mercury Salon, where even the king's sleep was political.
Compared to the Hall of Mirrors, the **Mercury Salon** might not receive as much attention, but I particularly love this room.
This is the King's Grand Suite, named after Mercury in Roman mythology. Nominally a ceremonial bedroom, Louis XIV actually slept in his private suite; however, until 1701, the king's public rites of rising and going to bed were indeed held here, and courtiers were allowed to observe.
This is particularly helpful in understanding Versailles.
Today, sleeping is the most private matter, but in the Sun King's court, it could become a power ritual.
Who could enter the room, who could stand closer, who was qualified to participate in the king's rising, dressing, and going to bed—all represented status and favor.
So, as I walked among these red velvets, enormous beds, paintings, and crystal chandeliers, it suddenly occurred to me: Perhaps the truly expensive thing about Versailles wasn't gold, but rather "the proximity to the king."
🗿 The sculptures in the corridors, often overlooked, are particularly evocative of Versailles.
Another aspect I really enjoyed this time was the sculptures in the palace corridors.
Unlike the sculptures in the Louvre, where each piece is viewed as an independent work of art, they feel more like integral parts of the architecture.
Busts and sculptures of classical mythology appear constantly in the corridors, niches, by windows, door frames, and between colonnades. Sunlight streams in through the high windows, suddenly illuminating the marble, then around a corner, leading into a room covered in gold and murals.
This feeling is truly magical: In the Louvre, you enter the architecture to see art; in Versailles, often the architecture itself is art.
Even the trophies, shields, weapons, and sun motifs on the walls are not random decorations. For example, in the Hall of Mirrors, the War Room, designed by Le Brun, celebrates Louis XIV's military victories: the marble walls are covered with gilded bronze weapons and trophies, while the central dome personifies France as a figure seated on clouds, surrounded by the goddess of victory.
Therefore, Versailles is worth exploring at a leisurely pace.
Sometimes, a single doorway is enough to captivate you for several minutes.
🟥 The red chambers suddenly imbue the word "palace" with a sense of life. The red velvet walls, enormous portraits, gold frames, crystal chandeliers, and beds in the photos present a completely different Versailles.
The Hall of Mirrors is for the world to see.
These chambers create a strange illusion—it seems as if the people of three hundred years ago have just left.
The room names at Versailles are also incredibly romantic: the Hercules Room, the Venus Room, the Diana Room, the Mars Room, the Mercury Room, the Apollo Room…
These names aren't simply borrowed from mythological figures. Apollo is the sun god, and Louis XIV used the sun as his central symbol; the Apollo Room thus served as the throne room. The Mars Room originally functioned as a guard room, and the Diana Room even had a pool table set up during court parties so guests could watch the king play.
Suddenly, it becomes clear that Versailles in history wasn't always so stern.
They also listened to music, danced, played billiards, and attended banquets.
Only, everything they did was far more glamorous than the lives of ordinary people.
🏛️ Finally, returning to the Marble Courtyard, I discovered that it held the earliest memories of Versailles.
The courtyard at the end of the photo, surrounded by red bricks, light-colored stone, gold window decorations, and a dark blue roof, is the Marble Courtyard (Cour de Marbre), which I found particularly beautiful.
Compared to the Hall of Mirrors, it appears restrained.
But it is very important because it is one of the oldest core parts of Versailles Palace. Official records indicate that the Marble Courtyard originated from a building constructed by Louis XIII in 1623, and the famous black and white paving stones came from the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte. Later, Louis XIV continuously expanded Versailles, and in 1682, it officially became the seat of the French government.
So, standing in the center of the courtyard today and looking back, you discover a very interesting fact:
The Versailles Palace that later aspired to a palace that would awe all of Europe initially grew slowly from this not-so-large core.
This also explains why, after actually walking through it, I felt that "Versailles Palace doesn't seem as big as I imagined." What's truly astonishing about Paris isn't its size,
but its density.
A palace crammed with architecture, painting, sculpture, music, mythology, religion, politics, etiquette, and history.
Having reached this point in Paris, I feel truly fulfilled.
Notre Dame showed me Paris of faith;
The Louvre showed me Paris of civilization and art;
Versailles showed me Paris of royalty and luxury;
The Eiffel Tower showed me Paris of industry and modernity.
These four places are practically the four most important faces of Paris.
Of course, Paris also has the Orsay, the Orangerie, Montmartre, the Opera, the Pantheon… you can never truly "see everything."
But sometimes, travel doesn't require lighting up every single attraction on the map.
3°
