Hi all,

Does anyone have an update on the state of ongoing renovation at Versailles Palace?

Is there extensive scaffolding up on the outside of the palace?

The last I read, the Opera House and parts of the Petit Trianon are closed, is this correct? Are there any other closures?

Thanks!

Have you checked the official Versailles website? In the past, it has always had detailed information about renovations.

<i>The last I read, the Opera House and parts of the Petit Trianon are closed, is this correct? Are there any other closures?</i>

When was that?

I'm sure others have more recent info, but we were there in 09/2008 and everything was open for visiting, including the Petit Trianon and Marie Antoinette's theatre.

The main facade (facing East) of the palace was covered in scaffolding, but it's the type of scaffolding that has an image of the actual facade, so it didn't look too ugly or obvious until you get close.

I got most of my original info from the Rick Steves France guidebook, so some of it might be a bit outdated (although its the 2009 edition).

I was there a month ago. There is some scaffolding, but I wouldn't call it extensive. The Opera House was closed, but the Petit Trianon was open. The gardens were not, so it was necessary to walk around the palace and down a lovely tree-lined boulevard to get there. Some people might find the walk a little long. (a mile and a half maybe?)

Thanks for the update.

So are you saying the gardens are open, you just have to detour to get to them (instead of walking out the back of the palace?)

Sounds like she was saying she had to circumvent the grounds altogether to reach the P.Trianon building...

At any rate, here is the current list:
http://www.chateauversailles.fr/en/5...y_closures.php

Temporary Closures

Notice : the Ch&acirc;teau is closed on Mondays - the Marie Antoinette's Estate, the Garden and the Park are open every day.

▪ Opera House : closed for restoration for about 20 months as from June 2007

▪ Mesdames’Apartments : to get information on temporary closures dial 33 (0) 1 30 83 78 00

▪ Marie Antoinette's Estate : temporary closures only from November to March. To get information dial 33 (0) 1 30 83 78 00

▪ History of France Galleries : to get information on temporary closures dial 33 (0) 1 30 83 78 00

▪ Coach Museum and Salle du Jeu de paume : More info : dial 33 (0) 1 30 83 78 00

Do they allow cameras inside?

How late are they open in the summer? After sunset, all the buildings and fountains are lit?

Travelnut is correct. We had to totally circumvent the grounds. We had to exit in the front, walk straight as if we were leaving, and turn left to walk outside the gates, around the buildings and down the street.

Was the detour becuase they are doing constuction/renovation on the main building, or the gardens/fountains in the back of the palace?

I am an avid photogrpaher and wanted to get some shots of the &quot;backyard&quot; grounds, but if the area is off-limits or obstructed, it may limit that potenital.

Thanks all for the helpful info!!

I would also like to know a bit more about the fountains.

gopp,

We could look out of the windows and see the gardens, and there did not seem to be any work going on there. I did not ask why the gardens were closed, because it seems to me that, when in France, things are often unexplicably closed/changed/unavailable. C'est la vie!

Ferme (sorry there should be an accent on the second e) is the single most useful word to know in French.

Well there wouldn't be much to see this time of the year, would there?

Is there snow on the grounds?