Royal Attractions near Versailles

Royal Grounds Parallel Washington DC's Landscapes

by Caroline Maffry

A King’s Hunting Lodge: Marly-le-Roi Pavilion Royal

Not far from Versailles is the town of Marly-le Roi where I stayed with my family. While spending time in Marly, I visited Le Pavillion Royal du Chateau de Marly. One of many royal retreats of King Louis IV from Versailles, the King would use this Chateau and its surrounding cottages to invite close friends primarily to hunt.

Today, all but the foundations of the Chateau and the cottages remain. A fire in the 1800’s destroyed the Chateau and the cottages fell into to disrepair and were abandoned.

The grounds of Le Pavillion Royal du Chateau de Marly were frequently visited by Thomas Jefferson while he was Ambassador to France, prior to his presidency of the United States. Friends with L’Enfant, it is thought their strolls together at Le Pavillion Royal du Chateau de Marly may have resulted in a joint decision to model Washington, D.C.’s National Mall on the design of these grounds.

The museums that line the Mall today were placed along the sides of the Mall between the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial simulating the location of the guest cottages at Le Pavillion Royal du Chateau de Marly. The reflecting pool in Washington, D.C was also mirroring the lake on the grounds of the Chateau de Marly.

While walking the grounds, one of the custodians asked me if I was venturing down the narrow path ahead. He warned me that I should be careful as their have been daily sightings of two stags and he urged me to not walk any further alone -- a vivid reminder that even today the stag or “chevreuil” as the custodian mentioned that King Louis XIV came here to hunt are still present.

If you are interested in staying in this area, Le Pavillion Henry IV, which offers a lovely view from its terrace of Paris in the distance, is located in nearby Saint-Germain-en-Laye. This very site was where the first royal castle was located. It extended to the adjacent Chateau Neuf, once the birthplace of King Louis XIV and now a museum. The court later moved to Versailles.

Not only will you enjoy a royal experience staying at the hotel, but this is also where Dumas wrote the Three Musketeers and the Count of Monte Cristo at the Pavillon Henri IV. It is also said to be the where Béarnaise sauce was first created and served.

For more information on the hotel visit: Le Pavillion Henry IV 

A special thanks to August Maffry for the day in Marly-le-Roi.