Chateau de Versailles

The Chateau de Versailles is famous for its gardens and fountains, its magnificent Hall of Mirrors, and above all, for the man who built it (and eventually 'did for' the French Monarchy)—the Sun King Louis X1V. From 1682, when it was completed in grand baroque style, until the French Revolution in 1789, it was the principal residence of the French kings. The fact that the king had his court pay homage to him so far out of Paris, far from the 'hoi polloi', in no small part, led to the monarchy's alienation from the French people, as well as the sheer extravagance of the place.

It is now one of Paris's premier tourist destinations, a 30-minute ride south by car. A nightmare to visit in high summer, when you have to queue for hours with the coach tours, and then shuffle around amongst the crowd, it's best seen off season and very early in the day—though Paris is a year-round destination. As soon as the crowds arrive, duck out into the magnificent gardens, a worthwhile attraction in their own right.