The Grand Canal

Stretching over 1.6 kilometers, the Grand Canal feels even larger up close. Appearing to extend endlessly from the Palace of Versailles toward the horizon, it naturally impresses on visitors just how vast the king's domain seemed to be. The Grand Canal, too, was designed to display royal power. It points west, toward the setting sun, and at sunset the light reflects off its surface back into the palace where Louis XIV resided — as though nature itself existed for the king's benefit, a vast stage set built for the Sun King. That stage doubled as a playground: the royal family went boating on the canal, staged mock battles between miniature warships, and set off fireworks there.