Excursion: Vaux Le Vicomte
The Château de Vaux le Vicomte was constructed for Nicolas Fouquet, the superintendent of finances of Louis XIV and it was an influential work of architecture. The overall beauty and splendor of this place definitely lives up to that background!
This château was constructed by three talented and well known people, the architect Louis Le Vau, the landscape architect André le Nôtre, and the painter decorator Charles Le Brun. Their collaboration combined architecture, interior design and landscape design.
From its interior and garden, it's evident that this château served as the inspiration for Versailles. Having visited that place prior to this excursion, I was able to draw some comparisons.
The main differences between the two are varying degrees of opulence and grandeur. Versailles is impossible to see in a day due to its sheer size and luxuriousness. But here, the contrast is striking. Vaux le Vicomte was a private home, making it possible to explore in an afternoon. It's also unmarred since modern updates are kept to a minimum to keep the original château preserved.
Located in the center, the oval-shaped Grand Salon offers a great vantage point, with a sweeping view of the garden. There is also a "Water Mirror," which reflects the entire façade of the château. The parterres, water basins, statues, grottoes and canals can only be seen by exploring the garden on foot or on a four-seat electric cart (€15 for 45 minutes). While walking around, a show was on display with four performers emulating horses as they danced around the château according to the beat of the music. In the evening, the whole area is illuminated inside and out with 2,000 candles, creating a romantic candlelit ambiance. This is a good time to dine at the restaurant or at the smaller shops. Alternatively, you can also sip a glass of champagne in the garden while reclining in a lawn chair as classical music plays in the background. Then, our class ended the excursion to a fireworks display - a perfect way to wrap the night.