Hall of Mirrors
On Gingerguide's self-guided Versailles audio tour, Hall of Mirrors is a stop worth about ~45 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type palace
- Suggested visit ~45 min
- Versailles Versailles guide
About Hall of Mirrors
Seventeen mirrored arches face seventeen windows so daylight lands twice, in a gallery where Germany once crowned a Kaiser and the treaty ending World War I was signed.
The Hall of Mirrors, or Galerie des Glaces, was built by Jules Hardouin-Mansart between 1678 and 1684, replacing an open terrace that separated the King's and Queen's apartments. It runs 73 metres long, with seventeen mirror-filled arches facing seventeen arched windows that overlook the gardens. The house figure of 357 refers to the individual glass panes composing those seventeen large mirror-panels, not to 357 separate mirrors; the glass was made at France's own royal manufactory, breaking Venice's monopoly.
Charles Le Brun painted the vaulted ceiling with thirty compositions glorifying the first eighteen years of Louis XIV's personal reign, the central panel titled 'The King governs by himself.' The gallery's original solid-silver furniture did not survive; Louis XIV had it melted down in 1689 to fund war. In this room the German Empire was proclaimed in 1871, and the Treaty of Versailles ending the First World War was signed on 28 June 1919.
Did you know? Before it dazzled anyone, this was outdoor space. The gallery replaced an open terrace that once separated the King's and Queen's apartments, roofed over and mirrored by Hardouin-Mansart between 1678 and 1684.
How much time do you need at Hall of Mirrors?
Around ~45 min works well for Hall of Mirrors — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at Hall of Mirrors?
Yes — Hall of Mirrors made the cut as one of 15 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across Versailles. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in Versailles
Sources and further reading
Where to check the facts about Hall of Mirrors and read more:
Day 1 of the Versailles in 2 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of Hall of Mirrors
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