Giverny & Versailles

Amazing must-see places in northern(ish) France!

Giverny, famously the home of Claude Monet, is in Normandy, on the river Seine, to the west of Paris, and Versailles is considered part of Paris, also to the west. If you like to meander, add Le Touquet or Rouen to your journey (depending where you cross the channel) for a wonderful week. We've visited Le Touquet several times and Rouen just once. Returns to both are overdue. There are also some other amazing places to visit along the Seine.

The gardens at Giverny are usually closed until springtime. We went on a lovely day in April and encountered few other visitors but wish we'd waited a few more weeks to see the garden in all it's blooming glory. Maybe we'll plan another visit. To reach the water garden from the house, there is an underground passage (this is fairly new, Monet had to cross the road which probably was not too busy at that time).

Other than Monet's house and very famous garden, there are few other sights to see in the village: shop, café, church with war memorial. Definitely worth wandering around on a nice day.

We stayed at Auberge Les Canisses in Le Goulet, overlooking the Seine just 20 minutes from Giverny. It was clean, surprisingly quiet and pleasant. Moving on past Giverny, we discovered the  Chateau de La Roche-Guyon, a fascinating building that is partly embedded into the backdrop of rock. Nearby is the Chateau de Bizy.

Eventually, we arrive at Versailles and check in to a hotel opposite the Palace, ready to explore the palace and grounds the next day. 

There is so much to see! It was our second visit to the Palace but our first to the whole of the estate, which includes the Marie Antoinette gardens.

We hope you enjoy your visits of discovery as much as we did.