Notre-Dame Area

Historic site and monument

Notre-Dame is the oldest area in Versailles. It was built by Louis XIV to embellish the area surrounding the Palace.

King Louis XIV built this once greenfield to embellish the area north of the Palace. Inhabitants started to settle from 1671, building according to specific rules along the streets; surprisingly large and straight for the time.

The area is still organised around the original institutions. You can visit the Notre-Dame church that was once the King's parish, or stroll around the old bailiwick which was housing the local courthouse under the Ancien Régime and is now at the heart of the charming Antiquarian District.

You will be irresistibly drawn by the Notre-Dame squares, particularly bustling on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday mornings. They have proven to be the best market in the region!

Not far from there, you will also find the Montansier theater, opened in 1777, and the Hoche square, originally called Dauphine square and the first octagonal town square in France.

A few blocks away, housed in a charming 18th century hôtel particulier, you will discover the Lambinet museum. In a special 18th century atmosphere, you will find collections about the city's history and the French Revolution...