Audiotour Walking trail - The Saint-Louis district

Discover Versailles with a walking tour through the Saint-Louis district.

This district located in the south of the city is made up of two historically distinct parts: Old Versailles and the Saint-Louis district itself.

Old Versailles, which corresponds to the location of the medieval village acquired by Louis XIII, is the historic heart of the city.

Stroll through the heart of this district: you will discover a large number of remarkable and particularly well-preserved monuments such as the Récollets convent, the Grand Commun built under Louis XIV to house the court kitchens, the former Hôtel des Affaires Etrangères et de la Marine built under Louis XV, etc.

The most emblematic site of Old Versailles is the Salle du Jeu de Paume, which was the scene of a major episode of the French Revolution.

The other part of the southern district of the city is the Saint-Louis district itself, which occupies the site of the former "deer park" of Louis XIII, a hunting reserve that was urbanized from 1685.

You will admire the Saint-Louis cathedral (1743-1754), a superb building that preserves a very beautiful collection of period paintings as well as the King's Vegetable Garden, designed to feed the castle's overflowing population. You will also find the "Carrés Saint-Louis", this group of small houses built under Louis XV to serve as shelter for a new market. There is a very friendly atmosphere there!