Page 172 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - France
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The formal gardens,
complete with geometric
paths and shrubberies
The Gardens
The grounds of Versailles are no less
impressive than the palace. Designed by
the great landscaper André Le Nôtre, the
formal gardens are a masterpiece: sculptural
fountains and secluded groves sit amid
geometric flowerbeds and hedges. The
1.7-km- (1-mile-) long Grand Canal leads
from the gardens to the enormous park,
which features wooded areas and agricul-
tural fields delineated by a network of
footpaths. The grounds also encompass
the Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon palaces,
as well as the Queen’s Hamlet – a life-size
model village built for Marie Antoinette that
was also a functioning farm.
The formal gardens are a
masterpiece: sculptural fountains
and secluded groves sit amid The Grand Trianon, built by
Louis XIV in 1687 to escape
geometric flowerbeds and hedges. the rigours of court life
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