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Five ways to love Versailles without visiting its castle

2020-02-16T10:05:54.598Z


In the ancient city of the kings of France, it is not only the castle of the Sun King which is worth the detour. Here are other nuggets to discover,


We don't necessarily think about it. For fear of being drowned in the flood of visitors who have come to discover the immense castle and its park, one of the three most visited cultural sites in France. However, Versailles has much more to offer than its Hall of Mirrors, its golden ceilings and grandiose pools. Here are five ideas for places to discover in the prefecture-level city of Yvelines, where it's good to walk.

1. Go green in the King's vegetable patch

Created in 1683 by Jean-Baptiste La Quintinie, the king's vegetable garden is home to over a thousand varieties of plants. LP / Olivier Boitet

Louis XIV liked to do in excess. No wonder his vegetable garden, a stone's throw from the castle, is still the largest in Europe today. Over a thousand varieties of plants are grown on its nine hectares. We can spend hours wandering the aisles, scrutinizing the apples hidden under the leaves and walking along the perfectly aligned pear trees. You can also admire the famous king's gate, one of the only ones still original on the estate. The guided tour tells us the story of the brilliant Jean-Baptiste de la Quintinie, in charge of the site during the reign of the Sun King, who grew asparagus in winter and figs in spring. The place now houses the national landscape school and the site's production is sold to individuals several times a week.

King's vegetable garden, 10, rue du Maréchal-Joffre. Open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday, and Sunday from April to October. Potager-du-roi.fr.

2. Feast on the Pincemin

After having frequented the people, Xavier Pincemin opened a restaurant in Versailles. LP / LM

The Versaillese Xavier Pincemin, winner of “Top Chef” 2016, has decided to return to his hometown to open his restaurant. In this place, inaugurated last summer, the 30-year-old delivers fresh, flavorful cuisine, gourmet but without frills, after seven years spent at the Trianon Palace in the kitchens of star chef Gordon Ramsay. The cordon bleu has already caught the eye of gourmets: the Michelin guide has just awarded him the Michelin Plate, which rewards "the quality of the products and the chef's knack". The menu changes every day according to the mood of the owner, who has a weakness for land-sea associations. A safe bet!

Le Pincemin, 10, boulevard du Roi, lunch menu at € 35 and evening at € 65. Open Tuesday to Saturday. L epincemin.com.

3. Discover the Lambinet museum

The Lambinet museum gives you a good idea of ​​court life. LP / François-Xavier Chauvet

This former private mansion, which belonged to a building contractor from Louis XIV, has housed municipal art collections since 1929. Arranged like an 18th century apartment, you will discover very beautiful rooms: paintings, furniture, sculptures. It also tells the history of Versailles through maps and old documents. Another curiosity: copper plates used for printing the Jouy canvas. An interesting visit to get an idea of ​​daily life in Versailles, in past centuries. Many drawing workshops for children and even for adults, at low prices, are organized throughout the year, as well as conferences and even dramatized visits. You have until March 1 to discover the exhibition “One hundred portraits for a century”, which reveals the backstage of court life under Louis XV and Louis XVI.

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Lambinet Museum, 54, boulevard de la Reine, open every day, except Friday and public holidays, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., 4-6 €. Workshops at 5-8 €.

4. Laughing at the Royale Factory

This café-theater, inaugurated in 2011, was first a cinema specializing in silent films, then an auction house. Today it is a particularly dynamic performance hall, which gives pride of place to humor and comedy. The room with red chairs and small round tables also hosts many rooms for young audiences. The cream of humorists has passed by here and several heavyweights, like Jérémy Ferrari recently, come to prowl their show there. In the coming months, we can applaud Arnaud Demanche, Régis Mailhot and Arnaud Tsamère. And lots of young shoots!

Royale Factory, 2, rue Jean-Houdon, from 17 to 21 €, 12 € for shows for young audiences. Royalefactory.fr.

5. Stroll through the Saint-Louis district

You have the feeling of traveling back in time while walking in this district, the most picturesque of the city. The “squares” are made up of one-story houses with slate roofs, built on the old deer park, the Louis XIII hunting reserve. They housed a market at the time. And it is also in a building in this district that Louis XV installed his mistresses. Do not miss the Saint-Louis cathedral and the lively rue de Satory, which is full of bars and restaurants. This is also where the Jeu de Paume hall, famous for the oath taken by the deputies of the Third State, during the French Revolution is located. If your sneakers still have the resource after this walk, go through the Notre-Dame district, and the large market square, very lively on Sunday with its many stalls.

Source: leparis

All life articles on 2020-02-16

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