Just a few kilometers from Paris, the Palace of Versailles is more than just the Hall of Mirrors and its gardens. Directly across from the palace, the Grande Écurie is home to about forty horses as well as a riding school founded by Bartabas. This year, three guided tours will once again offer visitors a behind-the-scenes look at the facility when it is closed to the public and the horses have returned to their stalls.
Behind the Scenes at the Versailles Equestrian Academy Open to the Public
For an hour and a half, the tour takes visitors through the areas where the Academy’s riders usually work. It begins in the historic riding hall, continues through the tack room and the stables, and then heads to the outdoor arena. The horses are in their stalls, allowing visitors to explore the site in a calmer setting than during the weekend performances.
Built in the 17th century by Jules Hardouin-Mansart at the request of Louis XIV, the Grande Écurie once housed the king’s horses and the École des Pages. Young nobles learned not only horsemanship there, but also dance, the use of weapons, and the rules of court etiquette. The building regained part of its original function in 2003, when Bartabas established the Versailles Equestrian Academy there.
At this school, training combines dressage with artistic fencing, singing, dance, and even kyudo, the Japanese art of archery. The guide explains this rather unique method, as well as the daily lives of the riders and the work required to form a true partnership with each horse.
Following an initial tour held in July, three more dates are scheduled: Saturday, August 22, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and then on Saturdays, October 17 and November 28, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Groups are limited to 25 people, with a fee of 20 euros for adults and 15 euros for children ages 8 to 17.
Location: Grande Écurie de Versailles – 1 Rue Rockefeller, Versailles