Versailles, the one and only.

Versailles was the favoured hunting grounds of Louis XIII and Anne of Austria, but this "hunting lodge" only truly became a majestic château with the work of Le Vau in the 17th century.

The Château de Versailles or Palace of Versailles was the official royal residence from Louis XIV to Louis XVI; it was ransacked and looted during the Revolution, ending a glorious era.

Under Napoleon I the edifice was restored and expanded, and it was only in 1837 that the château became a historic museum under Louis Philippe.

Versailles became a public establishment in 1995 allowing people to discover the king's apartment, the queen's apartment, and the famous Galerie des Glaces or "Hall of Mirrors" (designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart) which was restored in 2007.

Since 1979 the château and its gardens has been classed as a Unesco World Heritage monument.

The château's park, with its extensive French-style gardens, is home to a magnificent light show over the fountains during the summer season, known as the Grandes Eaux musicales.