Inside the Palace of Versailles: The Hall of Mirrors is the Grandest of Them All

Out of the 700 rooms inside the Palace of Versailles, the Hall of Mirrors is the grandest of them all! If you don’t find it stunning or be blown away by its frescoes and craftsmanship of every thing inside, I’m not sure if you’re still human. LOL… 😀 It is here where I spent a long time gazing up at the frescoes from end to end. They’re just not interesting but they also seem to be alive!

The Frescoes. The paintings on the vaulted ceiling shows the political successes of France under the royal leadership of Louis XIV. Their colours are as bright as they were before and you can’t help but look at them with great admiration.

Inside the Palace of Versailles: The Hall of Mirrors is the Grandest of Them All (France).

No More Balcony. This 73-meter Hall of Mirrors used to be a balcony of the palace overlooking the royal gardens. It connects the Queen and the King’s apartments. But, because of bad weather, the design was changed in 1678 to become what it is today. It took 6 years to build it.

Inside the Palace of Versailles: The Hall of Mirrors is the Grandest of Them All (France).

Inside the Hall of Mirrors. To protect the ornate walls and the ceiling of the palace from smoke, Jules Harouin-Mansart designed a large gallery to replace the terrace. He created 357 mirrors opposite 17 windows to allow natural light. At night, when few of the huge candelabras are lit, the candles illuminate the whole room. Isn’t that brilliant? Who needs electricity for this?

Inside the Palace of Versailles: The Hall of Mirrors is the Grandest of Them All (France).

Don’t Blink. And oh, don’t even blink your eyes when you look at those huge chandeliers! They’re really that ancient and its a piece of art itself. When you’re done looking up, don’t forget to look down. Walk along the line where the tall candle holders are. Each of them is unique and its artistry is so detailed and the statues look surreal.

Inside the Palace of Versailles: The Hall of Mirrors is the Grandest of Them All (France).

Take Your Time. If you’re fascinated with art, this is your heaven. But, if you’re here for a photo op for your social media apps, move forward and hurry up. LOL… The crowd here can really be annoying. There are always people in the background whichever angle you’d take. You can’t take a decent photograph of the place and yourself.

Inside the Palace of Versailles: The Hall of Mirrors is the Grandest of Them All (France).

Best time to Visit. I was there in the afternoon and it was really super crowded. Most of visitors were on a day trip from Paris. Visiting in the morning should be fine – as long as you’re the very first human in the queue outside. 😀

Related: The Golden Gate of the Palace of Versailles

Inside the Palace of Versailles: The Hall of Mirrors is the Grandest of Them All

Inside the Palace of Versailles: The Hall of Mirrors is the Grandest of Them All (France).

Inside the Palace of Versailles: The Hall of Mirrors is the Grandest of Them All (France).

Inside the Palace of Versailles: The Hall of Mirrors is the Grandest of Them All (France).

Inside the Palace of Versailles: The Hall of Mirrors is the Grandest of Them All (France).

Inside the Palace of Versailles: The Hall of Mirrors is the Grandest of Them All (France).

Where to Stay in Paris

Paris is expensive. You’d be surprised how much you’d pay for a set menu in McDonald’s or Burger King. Yes, I know, those are fast-food but I do go there when I find local prices really expensive. 😀 So, if you’re on a budget trip to Paris, stay in a hostel. I stayed at St Christopher’s Hostel / Inn at Gare Du Nord. It’s three minutes walk to a major connecting metro and the are is surrounded with supermarkets, cafes and restaurants. Also, the hostel has its own bar, laundry room, lockers and security guards at the doors. It’s clean and staff are nice. You can book via HostelWorld, Expedia and Booking.com.