The Hameau de la Reine is a rustic retreat built for Marie Antionette in 1783 within the park which includes the Palace of Versailles.  It served as a private leisure and meeting place for the queen and her closest friends.  In a couple of weeks that will include us as we visit as part of an excursion on our Paris to Normandy River Cruise aboard the S.S Joie de Vivre.

Including the queen’s house there are a total of 10 cottages.  The site was abandoned after the French Revolution and would be completely lost if not for later restoration efforts.  Napoleon ordered a full restoration between 1810 and 1812, which unfortunately included tearing down some of the most dilapidated structures including the barn and the working dairy.  A second restoration campaign funded by John Rockefeller in 1930’s saved the hamlet from certain ruin.  Part of the hamlet was restored once again in the late 20th century, with some buildings including the windmill restored to their original look.  The farm itself almost totally disappeared over the course of the 20th century but was reconstructed in 2006.  It’s now home to a variety of animals.

We are really looking forward to our upcoming visit.  While the cruise is sold out you can still follow along on our Facebook page – we hope to see you there -https://www.facebook.com/getawaytravelllc/