The Palace of Versailles was well known to me from history classes in school, and I found the interior of the palace, and the magnificent Hall of Mirrors in particular, to be as awe-inspiring as I'd hoped when I first visited in the fall of 2003. I was just as enthused to visit the renowned gardens, after having already seen the gardens dubbed the "Russian Versailles" at Peter the Great's Peterhof palace outside St Petersburg. The gardens at Versailles were as expansive and impressive as expected; unfortunately I missed the fountains, which were not scheduled to run on weekdays in the fall. Two years later when I visited Paris again, I made sure to plan a trip to Versailles on a summer weekend to see the fountains running. This time, the gardens were more crowded, but they also seemed more lively as the fountains soared above the basins and ponds throughout the grounds. Although I liked Peterhof's smaller, more intimate sea channel, the Grand Canal at Versailles provided an impressive main avenue with numerous side trails serving smaller gardens and grottoes. The Palace of Versailles is one of the best palaces I've seen in Europe, and I highly recommend timing a visit when the fountains are on full display in the gardens.

Logistics: Versailles can be reached by the RER C rail line from Paris, but it can also be reached via private transportation.