Welcome to the Palace of Versailles

What began as a modest hunting lodge for Louis XIII became the most extravagant palace the world had ever seen. In 1682, Louis XIV — the 'Sun King' — moved the entire French court to Versailles: approximately 10,000 people, including nobles and servants, all living under one roof so the King could keep the aristocracy under his watchful eye.

The palace has over 2,300 rooms spread across 63,154 square meters, with gardens covering 250 acres and featuring 600 fountains. The Hall of Mirrors, with its 357 mirrors and painted ceilings, became the symbol of absolute royal power.

It was here that the Treaty of Versailles was signed in 1919, ending World War I — in the very same room where the German Empire had been proclaimed in 1871. Let's step inside.