The Gardens of Versailles occupy part of what was once the Domaine royal de Versailles, the royal demesne of the château of Versailles. Situated to the west of the palace, the gardens cover some 800 hectares of land, much of which is landscaped in the classic French formal garden style perfected here by André Le Nôtre. Beyond the surrounding belt of woodland, the gardens are bordered by the urban areas of Versailles to the east and Le Chesnay to the north-east, by the National Arboretum de Chèvreloup to the north, the Versailles plain to the west, and by the Satory Forest to the south.
Aerial view of the gardens from above the palace
Versailles, Du Bus plan
Garden plan, c. 1663
Exterior of the Grotte de Thétys by Jean Le Pautre, 1672
The Palace of Versailles is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about 19 kilometers (12 mi) west of Paris, France.
Image: Versailles Chateau Jardins 02
Image: Chateau Versailles Galerie des Glaces
Versailles in 1668, painted by Pierre Patel
Le Vau's garden façade around 1675