Grand Canal

At the near shore, the long arm of water points back towards the garden axis and palace. André Le Nôtre, Louis XIV’s gardener, developed the canal between 1668 and 1679. Its crossing arms created distant views and room for boating as well as extending the formal composition. The Royal Way, Apollo’s fountain and the canal look closely packed from the terrace. Standing beside the water separates them into places you have actually walked between. The shore lies in the park, beyond the gates of the formal gardens. A walk that ends here still leaves the return to the palace uphill along the garden paths, or a separate onward journey towards Trianon.