Upset your vacation to France got busted because of Coronavirus? Here’s some happy news for you. The Palace of Versailles is offering a free virtual tour, and we can’t keep calm! By Bayar Jain
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Home to gardens, museums, the Palaces of Trianon, the park of the Château de Versailles — which spreads over 800 hectares — and the Hall of Mirrors, among other things, the iconic 17th-century space has dotted tourists’ itineraries for years. However, in a time when most places are shutting their doors temporarily — and justifiably so — the iconic Palace of Versailles has opened its digital doors to offer a virtual tour to be experienced from home.
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One can explore over 22,000 artworks here, thanks to the Palace’s partnership with Google Arts & Culture. Which means, now is as good as any to familiarise with the secrets behind the famous Sacre de Napoléon or marvel at the gorgeous Marie Leszczynska furniture. For parents who have no idea how to keep their children occupied, this virtual tour could double as an educational yet engaging activity for your little ones. They can learn about Louis XIV and the French sovereignty, virtually stroll the palace grounds, venture through the Royal Courtyard, walk around the Hall of Mirrors, and even explore the King’s Apartments. To add to the fun of it all, the online exhibits about science at Versailles give a glimpse into a little-known aspect of court life as well. The “Experience Versailles” is free, powered by Steam and works with VR headsets like HTC Vive or Oculus Rift.
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Offering tours online, however, isn’t new for museums, especially in times of the novel Coronavirus. Earlier, The Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET), Louvre, and the Musée d’Orsay also dabbled into the virtual space.
To explore the Palace of Versailles virtually, simply head to their website.
Related: #TNLVirtualTour: Paris
Written By
Bayar Jain
Senior Content ManagerEquipped with a degree in Sociology (Honours) from the University of Delhi and a postgraduate diploma in English Journalism and Mass Communication from Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai, Bayar enjoys sharing stories of people, places, and different cultures. When not typing her travel tales, you can catch the hobbyist photographer capturing ..Read More
