Marie-Antoinette's Estate, Versailles: How to Visit and What to Do Nearby

Marie-Antoinette's Estate occupies the northwestern corner of the Palace of Versailles grounds, a private retreat built between 1762 and 1768 for the queen. The Petit Trianon, a neoclassical pavilion designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel, was originally a botanical retreat for Louis XV before Louis XVI gave it to Marie Antoinette in 1774. The queen commissioned the Hameau, a picturesque mock village of 12 thatched-roof cottages surrounding an artificial lake, complete with a working farm where she played at rural life. The Temple of Love, a classical rotunda on an island, shelters a marble Cupid by Bouchardon. is just one of many options in Versailles. Major attractions worth considering include Grand Canal, Royal Opera of Versailles (L'Opéra Royal du Château de Versailles), and Versailles Royal Chapel (La Chapelle Royale).