Art and Perfection

To assist at the horse shows, shrouded in baroque music, reserve a seat at the Equestrian Performance Academy, situated across from the castle. This ancient stable, belonging to Louis XIV, is now a training academy. The famous choreograph, Bartabas, proposes a new show each year that highlights the experience and talent of the young horses and riders: fencing on horseback and improvisational showmanship. The shows are performed on Saturdays, Sundays and certain Thursdays. The morning shows begin at 11 a.m., so it's wise to plan to eat somewhere in the castle gardens or near the academy. You can also visit the stables after the show.
Afterwards, offer yourself complete immersion into the refinement of the French 'art de vivre' with a visit to the Petit Trianon in the Domaine of Marie Antoinette. After three years of restoration, the site opened its doors in September 2008. In the garden, you will see the 'Temple of Love' that the Queen admired from her bedroom or the caves where she received her lovers... A different look at the history of Versailles. It's here that Sofia Coppola shot her film, Marie Antoinette, the impressionist-rock biography of the Queen in 2005. The American director was determined to re-create the atmosphere of the times by filming in the actual rooms, using French florists and pastry makers to make it more authentic. It took 19 days to film. To get there, hire a bicycle at the entrance to the castle: you'll enjoy a ride through the park, the wind in you hair.
Not far from the castle, the contemporary art centre, La Maréchalerie (5 avenue de Sceaux), is dedicated to « experimental art-architecture ». Initiated by the architectural school of Versailles, this space is open to the public in the afternoon and organises meetings between the artists and the architects. New exhibitions are offered three times a year.