France for so many centuries has been the richest country in Europe.
Here you can read about the world of the noble, royal and aristocratic extravagance that says a lot about French history.
Side tripping from Paris, you can read about the Palace at Versailles, Chartres Cathedral, and the chateaux of Vaux-le-Vicomte and Fontainebleau.
There are a lot of royal parks in Paris, noble mansions, gilded bridges and there you can visit the biggest palace in all of Europe – the Louvre.
1. Versailles is the palace that other palaces were modeled after, but there isn't any alike. This palace is made for the great monarch Louis XIV.
If you want to really enjoy the beauty of it, you should avoid weekends to visit it.
The Palace of Versailles was the residence of the king and the seat of France's government for a hundred years.
Versailles is the cultural heartbeat of Europe.
2. Vaux-le-Vicomte
Because of the architecture, garden design and interior decor it is the most beautiful chateau in all of France. Here you can see magnificent gardens, it is more intimate compared to Versailles.
The gardens are really big, far beyond the palace.
3. Another great side trip from Paris and another wonderful building is the Chartres Cathedral. Visitors come to Chartres to see the Cathedral but the town itself is also beautiful. And from every spot in Chartres you can see the Cathedral.
The architecture is Gothic which was popular back in the 1200s.
4. When it comes to showing the sweep of French history, Fontainebleau is unrivaled among French palaces. It has been home to many kings but today it is the domain of tourists. The palace is richly decorated and the walls are hung with amazing tapestries. There is the Renaissance hall, the Baroque ballroom, Rococo styled royal apartments.
Here you can see most of Napoleon Bonaparte's personal things. Napoleon's throne room, museum.
When you travel here today, France's powerful past has left today's visitors with some amazing sights. Thanks for reading this!
