I visited Versailles for the first time. It was breathtaking and fascinating — and so busy I couldn't wait to leave.

Insider's reporter, along with crowds of other tourists, at Versailles.Jordan Parker Erb/Insider

• In July, I visited Versailles in France for the first time. I quickly wished I'd gone somewhere else.
• The palace and surrounding estate were awe-inspiring, but so packed that I struggled to enjoy them.

Located about an hour outside of Paris by train, the Palace of Versailles is often among France's most-visited tourist attractions, per data from Statista. It's easy to see why: the palace, once home to generations of French royal families, is a sprawling, gilded feat of human artistry.

By its description, the Palace of Versailles is "one of the greatest achievements in French 17th-century art."

It's a description I can't argue with. By all accounts, Versailles is one of the most spectacular displays of artwork and architecture I've seen during my travels. But during my visit in early July, I wish I'd spent the day doing something — anything — else.