Versailles with kids: Le Hameau de la Reine

The Hameau de la Reine, or the Queen's Hamlet, was Marie Antoinette's peasant retreat at Versailles.  It is about a 30 minute walk from the Château de Versailles and composed of a mill, a farmhouse and a dairy.  This was one of our favorite stops at Versailles with our kids.  While we may not return to the Château during tourist season, we will return to the Hameau de la Reine to enjoy it under better weather conditions.   There are also childrens' workshops for little animal lovers.

The hamlet was built in 1783 by the Queen's architect, Mique.  It was designed as a heaven from the restrictive atmosphere of the court, allowing  her and her children to experience the healthful  benefits of country life.   The image of Marie Antoinette playing a dairy-maid with porcelaine pitchers is frequently evoked.  However, a fully functioning farm, the hamlet also employed and housed several otherwise destitute families and provided food for the royal family.   

Ateliers 

Children aged 6-15 

Monday-Saturday 14:30-17:00 

(including school holidays)

8 euros (free for disabled children)

Attire: Warm clothing & rubber boots

The farm is home to 2 cows, 6 donkeys, 3 pigs, 21 goats, 32 sheep, 10 rabbits, 35 chicken, 17 ducks, 4 turkeys, and a sheep herding dog.  Children discover each animal, how they live and are cared for (nutrition, exercise, hygiene) as well as their role within the farm.  Children are also given the opportunity to participate in everyday aspects farm-life.

The Gardens of the Château de Versailles

We spent last week-end at the Château de Versailles for my husband's birthday.  It was a cold day for a walk in the gardens, but beautiful nonetheless.  You don't need a ticket for entry and you can definitely spend an entire day there.  It's the perfect place to go running or cycling and visit with the kids.  Sheep graze in the fields and swans swim in the large bassins.  In springtime you can rent bikes and row boats.  There are hot potato stands and a few cafés on the grounds - even an Angelina, although I think a picnic would be best.  I also wrote about Versailles here and here.

Château de Versailles with Kids

We spent Sunday at the Château de Versailles with our two children.  Visiting the Château with kids can be a daunting experience, but I must say everything went rather smoothly. First of all, the kids had had their naps, eaten, and taken potty trips before we even attempted our visit.  I bought our tickets in advance and we were happy to find no lines at the security check where we were obliged to leave our stroller.  This would not be the case during the month of June mind you.

My son was very interested in the fact that this was where the King lived.  All the more impressive after a week of being crowned by a whole series of galettes des rois.  He loved the King and Queen's bed chambers and the Galerie des Batailles. My daughter wanted to move and luckily it wasn't so crowded that we had to keep her in our arms.  She happily walked from room to room holding her big brother's hand. Luckily, when she did begin to fuss a little she noticed the ceilings were painted and this completely captivated her for the rest of the visit.

Of course there was so much more to see...

More photos later of the gardens and the Hameau de la Reine.