Marie Antoinette’s Hamlet at Versailles
Maison de la Reine, the Queens House
Beyond the elegant Château de Versailles and the formal gardens you’ll find the Estate of Trianon with its two smaller palaces and a hamlet constructed at the wish of Marie Antoinette to resemble a rural French village. The stories I heard when I first visited this part of the estate were of a foolish young queen wanting to amuse herself. She may have been young and foolish, but according to the Château de Versailles website, the stories have been exaggerated. The hamlet was a place for Marie Antoinette to have more privacy and perhaps a more normal life than life at court normally allowed and where she educated her children at the small farm.
All the buildings and cottages are situated around a small lake filled with very hungry fish. They swarm to the edges of the water when visitors arrive. You can also spot geese, ducks, and muskrats swimming. There are beautiful flowers in the spring and summer—irises, tulips, lilies, and roses—and the farmyard is also active at that time of year with goats, sheep, cows, and chickens. There are vegetable gardens and fields of wildflowers growing amidst tall trees. It’s a quiet and lovely place to spend an afternoon outside of the city, perfect for kids and grown-ups alike. Visiting the Trianon Estate requires a separate ticket from entrance to the château and allows access to the Petit and Grand Trianons (the two smaller palaces) and all the gardens surrounding them. There’s a small Angelina’s operating nearby if you’re in need of refreshments after your visit.
