Visit Paris - virtually

Visit Paris - virtually If you need your regular dose of French culture like you do your morning coffee, look no further than Google Arts and Culture says Melissa Barndon. Dedicated to bringing, well, arts and culture, to everyone, it means there are many sites and museums all over the world, more than 2000, that you can visit without stepping out your front door. So head to France to discover glittering châteaux, gorgeous museums and gracious gardens as well as marvellous monuments from the Eiffel Tower to the Pont du Gard and landscapes as diverse as the lavender fields of Provence to the streets of Lyon. And for Paris lovers – here are five virtual visits you shouldn’t miss…

Chateau de Versailles View this most magnificent of all châteaux from your home. Immerse yourself in the 17th century and take a 360 degree tour through the sparkling Hall of Mirrors, and then meander outside the palace for a stroll through the arched colonnades in the garden and the bronze fountains. If you want to see past the glitz and the glamour and learn something about the history of Versailles, online exhibits range from “Fashion at Versailles: For Him” to “Louis XIV: the Construction of a Political Image”. There’s even a quiz - Which royal would you be? And the Sun King, creator of this sumptuous palace, invites you to spend some time in his sumptuous bedroom… The wonders of the palace of Versailles are not limited to its walls - it was built during a time of great scientific discoveries and inventions. If you look closely you will see astronomy, world globes, and cherubs wielding scientific instruments in all the hidden corners of the palace. Did you also know that Louis XVI loved maps so much he had a separate room built onto his apartments with a specially made desk - purely for map drawing? Hundreds of paintings, from portraits of Marie-Antoinette with her children, to the coronation of Napoleon, line the silk covered walls. And when painting changed to photography, what better subject than Versailles - the troops in formation at the Place d’Armes in 1870; the state receptions for Queen Victoria and John F. Kennedy. Even the fallen trees after a vicious storm in 1990. So put on your best frock, pour yourself a glass of champagne, and explore this beautiful palace without ever leaving your couch (except for more champagne, of course). Visit Versailles: the palace is yours