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Admire the façade of the majestic monument that inspired the Château de Versailles, and you'd be forgiven for thinking that the underground is just as exciting to visit. During the creation of his famous French gardens, André Le Nôtre had a river, now accessible to the public, diverted and buried.
Equipped with waders and illuminated by headlamps, intrepid visitors spend 1 hour travelling up the "Styx", the river that separates the terrestrial world from the underworld in Greek mythology.
The aquatic tour is based on the work of another illustrious figure who worked at Vaux-le-Vicomte in the 17th century: Jean de La Fontaine. More precisely, it is inspired by his book "The loves of Psyche and Cupid ", whose text, narrated by professional actors, serves as the common thread for a series of agility and logic tests to be completed with friends or family.
This subterranean adventure is best enjoyed in a group, because to solve Psyche's riddles, defeat the Cerberus or, more prosaically, reassure yourself as you wade through the long, candle-lit tunnel with your feet in the water, you'll need to be well surrounded.
It's a bit like Fort Boyard. You're transported back in time.
To book your trip on the Styx, visit the Vaux-le-Vicomte website.
Enjoy your visit!
Valérie from Comme des Français
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We're keeping with the aquatic theme with other activity ideas:
Crédit photo : ©Yann Piriou3 / ©Carnet d’histoire