Fairy tales are full of castles, princes and princesses. Reality can also be magical, so join Voyage as we visit three castles outside Paris. We marvel at the artist, check in after closing, and stand in the Hall of Mirrors to gaze at our reflection in one of the 357 mirrors hanging on the wall here.
The Grand Masked Ball The Grand Masked Ball Book your ticket and costume in time, this year's date is Saturday 17 June. An original ticket, as well as a back-tie costume and mask, are mandatory for entry to the party. Prices, if you book via the website, there are tickets at three levels: Standard, VIP and Extravagant, from 98–330 Euros. It is also possible to book tickets with different organisers who arrange everything from hotels and transport to costumes and make-up. www.chateauversailles-spectacles.fr Night Fountains Show Experience Versailles by evening with a magnificent show of music, fountains, and fireworks. Every Saturday evening from June to September.
Well, what is a ball at the castle? It can be dreadfully dull and boring and absolutely, absolutely wonderful!
That dream of attending a ball is one many of us hold, and one that isn't at all impossible to achieve. However, it requires a bit of planning, and perhaps also starting early. During my visit to Paris last summer, I almost, but only almost, attended a ball at the château. I did get to experience, albeit from the sidelines, the ball that has been organised every summer at Versailles since 2011 under the title Le Grand Bal Masqué.
Cooling lemonade in the park.
The heatwave has arrived in Paris and I find myself just outside the city. For a few days, I am visiting three magnificent châteaux located here, each with its own special history. Before we finally end up at the Château de Versailles, I have spent an afternoon at the Château Rosa Bonheur, which today is a museum and a hotel where you can get up close to the environment in which the artist lived and worked. The cooling park is a wonderful refuge on a day like this, and we empty jug after jug of lemonade.
Inside the castle, the floors creak, and the guide shows us into Rosa's studio. The stuffed animals stand in a row, and they are also the subject of her paintings. She was a well-known and colourful woman who lived here in the 19th century; her art was appreciated, and the American public absolutely loved her paintings of animals. This colourful woman is worth discovering; she stood out, dressing in trousers long before it was considered appropriate, and to sum her up in two words, they would be: animal lover and feminist. Some of her works can be found in Paris at the Musée d'Orsay, but it is here at the castle that we get a clearer insight into her life and work. If it hadn't been so warm, we would have stayed for tea in the drawing-room; instead, we are now taking a stroll in the lush woodland park, which has also served as a model for Rosa's canvases. A visit here is an exciting journey back in time and, for me, a discovery of a successful female artist's achievements.
Castle visit after closing time
The next castle we're visiting is Château de Fontainebleau, which is one of the largest royal castles. It's also the castle where the most royals have resided over time, and they have all left their mark on the castle, stylistically speaking, we're talking Renaissance. Today, for example, we can visit Marie Antoinette's boudoir and Napoleon's throne room and bedroom. It was from here that Napoleon abdicated before going into exile. We're treated to a guided tour after closing time – absolutely magical. If you're a group, this is an experience I highly recommend.
We return to Paris, take an electric boat trip on the Seine, enjoy the city and spend an afternoon at Café Lapérouse, which has been located here at Place de la Concorde.
Here too, we are treated to a royal connection as the restaurant Lapérouse was founded by a wine merchant who supplied the court with select beverages. The café we visit is a spin-off of the establishment founded in 1766. Here, Cordelia de Castellane, Creative Director for Dior, has been tasked with designing the interior to set the tone. Luxurious and comfortable, magnificent and naturally simple. LVMH and Bernard Arnault are extremely involved, and we could pause here and delve into another exciting story that includes Michelin stars and fashion icons. But we lean back and our waiter pops the cork on a magnum bottle of Veuve Clicquot. This is where the party begins, especially for those who managed to get a ticket to La Grand Bal Masqué at the palace of Versailles.
A castle of life and death
The Palace of Versailles is located 20 kilometres south-east of Paris, so it's close and easy to get to. This year, the palace is also celebrating its 400th anniversary. Hop in a taxi, take the train or book a chauffeur – the latter is the obvious choice if you're dressed for a ball and staying in Paris.
It was Louis XIV, also known by the nickname Le Roi Soleil, the Sun King, who had the palace built to get away from Paris. When he moved in in 1682, the palace was not only a milestone in French architecture that became a global architectural model. Versailles now also became the country's new centre of power, and an elegant and extravagant existence was created for those who had followed along. To ensure the nobility's contentment, they were tempted with a life offering distracting activities such as hunting and riding, to which were added pleasures and culture. Art, theatre, ballet, competitions, parties, and elegant living flourished and reached their peak during the time Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette lived here.
Versailles became the centre of power for nearly 100 years, but the lifestyle and extravagance of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette increasingly provoked the people. On 14 July 1789, the French Revolution broke out, and the Bastille in Paris was stormed. Later that year, a women's march proceeded to Versailles, and the court was brought to the Tuileries Palace, from where they attempted to flee. The subsequent history is dramatic and concludes in 1793 with the execution of both Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette; he on 21 January, and she on 16 October.
Costume party
After an afternoon spent visiting the castle, seeing the theatre, Marie Antoinette's ”little” pleasure palace and admiring ourselves in the Hall of Mirrors, we check into the Waldorf Astoria Trianon Palace Versailles.
In the reception, there is a man wearing a wig, short trousers, and a powdered face, of which only a large smile is visible; his eyes peek out from behind the mask. Hmm, something's afoot. When I peek out from the balcony, I also see several women dressed in magnificent Baroque gowns. It turns out that a ball at the palace is taking place tonight. Quite recently, I was told that it was at a masked ball that Marie Antoinette first met Axel von Fersen, and we even got to glimpse his room here at the palace. The stories are making me utterly giddy, so it feels good to take a breather out on the terrace of one of the suites here at the hotel. Canapés and champagne are being served before it's time for dinner at the hotel's restaurant, Gordon Ramsay au Trianon. Those who wish to indulge further can choose to book a table at Alain Ducasse's Le Grand Contrôle. But we will return to the palace gardens to see the evening's fountain and fireworks show, an event organised every Saturday evening during the summer months.
One night, one summer
As you've probably figured out, we've timed our fireworks evening with the night of the ball itself, which has been held here one night every summer since 2011. This year's date for the event, Le Grand Bal Masque, is June 17th. We regular visitors mingle with guests in full costume – there's an air of anticipation. The grounds are vast, and small outdoor areas open up here and there; we have access to some but not others. Light shows, music, and champagne for sale are enticing.
The feeling of being in a film is palpable. Women and men in baroque costumes sweep through the park. The dresses rustle, the wigs raise dust just like the dry gravel paths. A smoke machine and a fountain that sprays water, jesters and musicians. The fireworks are, for all those in period costumes, merely the prelude to the party. For it is once the last fireworks have fizzled out and all us other visitors have been guided out of the park that the actual party night in the park and the various VIP areas begins.
3 slots worth visiting Château Rosa Bonheur Built in the 16th century, then named Château de By. The artist Rosa Bonheur bought the château in 1859 and today it is her artistic work that is the focus. The château offers three rooms for those who wish to check in. www.chateau-rosa-bonheur.fr Château de Fontainebleau This is the largest of the French royal palaces. Everyone who has lived here has left their mark. We highly recommend a visit after closing time, as you'll have time to enjoy dinner first, perhaps at the fantastic l’Axel, which offers magnificent tasting menus with matching drinks. www.chateaudefontainebleau.fr Palace of Versailles Impossible to present, wonderful to experience. It has inspired palaces all over the world, Drottningholm outside Stockholm is one and Peterhof in Saint Petersburg another. www.chateauversailles.fr
Food and drink are followed by dancing in the Ballroom Grove, located right next to the orangery. Here, a DJ awaits to carry you further into the night. A magical one, with space for dancing, revelry, scandal, extravagance, and romance. The night is long, and the party continues until dawn. However, at eight o'clock the next morning, it's time to check out. And it's shortly after eight that I myself take my morning walk. It's drizzling, and I walk through a rose garden, finding a table and some delicate garden chairs in a secluded part of the park. Two empty bottles of Henriot champagne and two empty glasses, now slowly being filled by the rain, stand here, betraying that the party has just ended for this time.
I've found all my three castle visits to have been magical, as was the fireworks display last night. But as I stand there among the empty glasses, I still quietly think to myself: What is a ball at the castle, really...
