Chateau de Versailles

Back in February 2013, Cajsa Lilliehook and I collaborated on a story for AVENUE magazine, "Date Night: Exploring Second Life and Each Other," that recommended ten very different kinds of places for couples to explore. One of the locations I photographed for the article was Chateau de Versailles, which just by chance I happened to visit again today as I was randomly clicking on map locations (often an interesting experience!). It's not a mesh build and accomplishes much of its ornate decorative work by employing two dimensional textures of three dimensional things (sculptures, etc.)—which I know this era some people will regard with disparagement—but it's an impressive place, stretching over three sims that include an entrance area, the castle itself, and the gardens in the back.

The chateau, designed by Ninjah Valeeva, is, in many ways, a faithful reproduction of the original, on which construction began in 1664 and continued, with modifications and expansions, more or less until the French Revolution—great effort has been taken to capture the appearance and experience of the original. A few areas within the chateau aren't accessible, as work here seems to be ongoing, but it's possible to wander through the grand Hall of Mirrors and many of the apartments and large rooms, often decorated with period furniture and faux mirrors. Versailles is home to an active roleplay community, and if that grabs your fancy you can visit Ninjah's shops, located within Versailles, to select some appropriate period attire. (Some free options are also available.) Flying isn't permitted on the sims, but a local teleport system will help you get around.