A popular day trip from Paris, Versailles tends to attract visitors to its royal palace, and many never venture beyond its grounds. If you have the time to spare, get off the beaten path with a guided tour of the historic town of Versailles by horse and carriage, which typically includes stops at the Court of Scents, along with the Church of Notre-Dame, Place d’Armes, Potager du Roi, and the Versailles Cathedral.
Highlights of the Court of Scents include an orange blossom-perfumed fountain, the only Guerlain store in France outside Paris, and Maison Fabre, the only place in the world to purchase replicas of Marie Antoinette's two-toned, perfumed gloves.
The Court of Scents is located just steps from the main gates of the Palace of Versailles. The nearest train station is Versailles-Château–Rive Gauche on Line C of the Paris regional express suburban train.
The Court of Scents is always open, but its shops and restaurants each maintain their own business hours. It’s a quiet, shady place to grab lunch and do some shopping before or after a visit to the palace.
Versailles is considered to be the birthplace of the modern perfumer, and the Maison des Parfums within the courtyard offers a short history of perfume in France through several interactive displays.
