Académie du Spectacle Équestre

The attractive town of Versailles, crisscrossed by wide boulevards, is another Louis XIV creation. In the late 17th century the three wide thoroughfares that fan out eastwards from place d’Armes in front of the château – av de St-Cloud, av de Paris and av de Sceaux – were separated by two vast stable blocks. One stable block called the Grandes Écuries (Big Stables) is the stage for the prestigious Académie du Spectacle Équestre. The crowds dash here. In addition to its 45-minute morning training sessions, the academy presents spectacular Reprises Musicales, for which tickets sell out weeks in advance; call for information and reservations. Training sessions and shows include a stable visit.