You could lose hours in the seemingly never-ending gardens of Versailles. Between the English gardens, French gardens, Petit and Grand Trianons, fountains, orangeries, greenhouses, lakes, grottos and my favourite, Marie Antoinette’s fairytale hamlet, there is so much to see here. In terms of beauty, I think the gardens leave the palace for dead. The Temple of Love is a neo-classical temple in the English Gardens at Versailles, erected for Marie Antoinette. The Queen preferred the more “natural” style of the fashionable English gardens, as opposed to the French order imposed upon meticulous greenhouses and manicured garden beds, which you can see in the rest of the gardens.

The Temple of Love at Versailles

The entire temple is sculpted from marble and houses a statue of cupid. Before the revolution, Marie Antoinette and her friends used to host parties in the gardens and plays were performed in the temple. The Neo-Classical temple was erected in 1788, and it contains sculptures by Deschamps on the tops of the corinthian pillars, and inside the temple.

It was lovely in winter, but I am so glad I went again in summer because it is indescribably beautiful when everything is in full bloom.

Visiting the Gardens at Versailles

The Temple of Love is located in the Trianons section of Versailles, which is a second garden estate on the same property as Versailles. It is a litte farther from the Palace of Versailles, and contains two small palaces (Grand Trianon & Petit Trianon) and the Queen’s Hamlet, as well as the Temple of Love. The Temple of Love is closest to Petit Trianon, and also to the Angelina Terrace, which offers pastries, coffee & hot chocolate, and sandwiches, and is open from midday.

Why visit Versailles?

In my opinion, visiting Versailles is the best day trip from Paris for first time visitors. Versailles is more than 300 years old, and was the setting for one of the most dramatic episodes of French history, when it became centre stage of the French Revolution in 1789. The palace is unbelievably extravagant, and the gardens are some of the most impressive in the world.

You can catch the train to Versailles from Paris, on the RER C line. The train trip takes around 30 minutes, followed by a ten minute walk from the station through the town of Versailles, to the palace.

Tickets for the Gardens at Versailles

You can access the Temple of Love and the rest of the Trianon Estate at Versailles with two ticket types. You can purchase just a Trianon Estate ticket, which includes access to Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon, the Queen’s Hamlet and the surrounding ornamental gardens, which includes the Temple of Love. At time of writing, this is 12 Euro.

If this is your first time visiting Versailles, I recommend buying a Passport Ticket which includes the whole estate of Versailles: The palace, the garden (the formal French gardens adjacent to the palace), and the Trianon Estate. At time of writing, this is 24 euro.

You need to buy tickets online in advance, and even with tickets I’d recommend arriving early.

Have you been to Versailles?

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