The Grand Canal

The Grand Canal is the great water axis of the gardens of Versailles, a long, straight stretch of water in the form of a cross that extends from the end of the Tapis Vert to the western edge of the park. It was begun in 1668 and finished in 1671 for Louis XIV, under the direction of the garden designer André Le Nôtre, and it forms the culmination of the perspective that runs from the palace's Hall of Mirrors across the terraces, the parterres and the Basin of Apollo. Standing at the top of the steps and looking down the central axis to the canal, with its shimmering water in the distance, is one of the classic experiences of the French formal garden.

The canal is about one and a half kilometres long and sixty metres wide in its main arm, with a shorter transverse arm that crosses it and leads towards the Grand Trianon in one direction and the former royal menagerie in the other. Its purpose was partly decorative, to extend the view and to reflect the sky, and partly practical, as a place for boating and entertainment. Louis XIV and his court used it for water parties, and a small fleet of boats, including miniature ships and a pair of Venetian gondolas sent as a gift by the Doge of Venice, floated on the water, with gondoliers who lived in the nearby quarter that took the name Petite Venise. In the evening, fireworks and music added to the festivities. Supplying water for the canal and fountains was a major engineering challenge, and the huge machine at Marly was built to pump water from the Seine.

Today visitors can walk or cycle along its banks, which are lined with avenues of trees, and rent rowing boats to explore the water, as the king's guests once did. A circuit around the canal is about seven kilometres and offers a quiet side of Versailles that is far from the crowds in the palace. The view back towards the palace from the water, with the gardens rising in terraces, shows the grandeur of the design, and the surrounding woodland and meadows have a calm, almost rural character. On summer evenings, the canal is the setting for special events, and at times of year when the Musical Fountains Shows and the Musical Gardens take place, an admission charge applies for the gardens, while at other times the park is free to enter.

The canal is reached by walking down from the palace, which takes about twenty minutes, or by a small tourist train or by renting a bicycle or golf cart. The estate is served by three railway stations, Versailles Château Rive Gauche, Rive Droite and Chantiers, and there are car parks near the palace. Bicycle racks are available. The rest of the grounds offer further sights: the Parterre d'Eau, the Grand Trianon and the Queen's Hamlet, a model village built for Marie-Antoinette, lie in the northern part of the park, and the Royal Opera and the Gallery of Battles can be visited in the palace.

The canal suits walkers, cyclists, families and photographers, and a visit takes two to three hours, longer if you row. Bring water and a hat in summer, as there is little shade on the open stretches. Check the official website for boat rental times, event dates and opening hours, which vary.