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As a tourist destination, Mantes la Jolie, located about 30 miles west of Paris, is the home of the medieval Collegiate Church of Our Lady of Mantes. It's worth a look, but boats really dock here for proximity to Versailles and Napoleon's Chateau de Malmaison. As such, it's another big power-touring day, and after most travelers debarked for tours, our riverboat pushed off at noon to return to Le Pecq, our suburban Paris homeport.
Don't Miss: Spend the day at the Chateau de Versailles, one of the top tourist draws in and around Paris. This UNESCO World Heritage Site began as a humble hunting lodge before becoming the home of kings (the most famous being King Louis XIV, who embarked on an opulent expansion scheme). On the tour, you visit the state apartments and the striking Hall of Mirrors, a 240-foot-long glass- and chandelier-filled corridor that pays tribute to France's political, economic and artistic might. The recently revitalized Queen's Apartments, where you learn about life at the palace, is full of stories. And no visit to Versailles is complete without a turn in its lavish gardens. Don't miss the numerous waterworks, such as The Four Seasons Fountain and the Mirror Pool.
Been there and done that? Take a tour of Napoleon Bonaparte's last home in France before his exile. His wife Josephine actually owned the manor, and she kept it after the couple divorced. Chateau Malmaison is less a palace and more a home than Versailles.
Independent Meanderings: If you prefer to spend more time in Paris, Viking arranged for a shuttle that departs Mantes la Jolie after breakfast and returns to the ship's final stop in Le Pecq later that afternoon.
Active Pursuits: Cycle your way around the Chateau de Versailles; it rents them onsite.
Insider Tips: Various tour options to visit Versailles run from 5 to 6.5 hours. Pace yourself; Viking's Paris by Night motor coach tour takes place after dinner on this last night of the cruise. If you've already been to Versailles and want a lazy afternoon before arriving at Le Pecq, stay onboard watching passing scenery that gradually becomes less rural and more suburban as we got closer to our final port of call.
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