With travel to Europe peaking this month, many famous palaces and castles will be overrun with tourists. Rather than join the crowds queuing up at Versailles or Chenanceaux, why not call on lesser-known, but equally grand, addresses instead? We asked contributor Melanie Walker to search out some royal residences that don't appear in every guidebook or on every tour bus guide's itinerary.

Melanie says she had a castle "awakening" in the north of Ireland, on a lonely green hill overlooking a sullen Atlantic Ocean. She was eating a picnic lunch in a ruined, turreted castle during a rainstorm and was convinced that at any moment sweaty knights were going to round the corner and demand her horse, bread and cheese. That experience began Melanie's quest to find castles and palaces that have the ability to transport the visitor into another realm.

Rosenborg Castle, Copenhagen, Denmark. What makes this small castle so special are its architectural style and stunning grounds. Rosenborg Slot, built between 1603 and 1634 by King Christian IV, is a mix of elements that coalesce into a look that is thoroughly Scandinavian. Though small, the castle features details that are in perfect proportion. Soaring, straight walls are capped with stair-stepped facades and onion-domed towers. The wrought-iron drawbridge over the narrow moat is both delicate, as suits the style of the building, yet fierce in its defensive strength. Interior rooms are grand and ornate. Inlaid floors, stunning gold-leaf cornices, heavy brocade upholstery, intricately carved wood furniture, and lavish accessories for daily living adorn the quarters. In the basement of the Slot are the crown jewels of the Danish monarchy.

The grounds of the castle are also enchanting. A long, straight alley of lawn is edged on each side with crushed white pebbles. This approach, flanked by towering trees, is best seen in early spring, when thousands of crocus burst into bloom forming a meticulous design of purple, lavender and white plaid. An impeccably shorn series of box hedges on the side of the castle set off antique marble sculptures, their pearly white a startling contrast to the deep green of the shadowy maze. The castle is open daily year round.

Kasteel De Haar, Haarzuilens, The Netherlands. The Castle De Haar is Melanie's favorite. Not only is its setting and construction stunning, but it's also one of the only castles on the continent still used by descendants of its founders. Castle De Haar was rebuilt in the 1800s to replace a ruined family castle constructed in 1165 on the 247-acre estate of the famous Van Zuylens/Rothschild family. The family hired renowned architect P. Cuypers, who also designed Centraal Station and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, to oversee the restoration.

When you approach the castle, a sweeping green expanse of lawn (and a delicate lace of pink-blossomed redbuds, if you visit in early spring) greets you. Then you'll spy a chapel on the other side of its own tiny bridge, a reflecting pond, a deer park and wandering peacocks, and hear perhaps the gentle whiny of horses from the working stable. Finally, the castle itself--set in the middle of a large lake--will come into view. You cross the working drawbridge and pass between huge, winged lions through enormous turrets set upon massive foundations rising from the lake.

The interior matches the exterior. The castle safeguards a precious collection of fine art, a collection of antique furniture and coats of arms that are still in use, and enough copper pots and pans to feed an army.

Open to the public for 11 months of the year, the castle is closed in September when Van Zuylens and Rothschilds from around the world come to holiday for a month on their ancestral estate. Open between 11 am and 4 pm most weekdays and 1 pm to 4 pm weekends. Tours every hour. Admission is about $8; no children under five allowed.

To reach the castle, take the train to Utrecht, then the bus to the town of Haarzuilens, which was moved in its entirety to accommodate the estate. The castle is a short walk from the bus stop. The town is charming, with its very Dutch atmosphere, and worth a look.

After seeing De Haar, Melanie visited the renown Castle Neuschwanstein in Bavaria that served as the model for the Disney logo. While Melanie agrees that Neuschwanstein is spectacular--which is why its adorns so many travel posters for Germany--she prefers De Haar.

"It's so pristine, untouristed, and upon approach, so breathtaking," she says. "Neuschwanstein's impact is lost because of the twisting ascent you have to make to get to it, and frankly--the hordes of tourists and long lines are off- putting."

When choosing palaces to visit, Versailles and Buckingham always come to mind. But Melanie recommends adding Linderhof, Schonbrunn, and Het Loo to the list.

Linderhof Castle in Bavaria is the overlooked stepdaughter of Neuschwanstein. This nearby, tiny companion palace is much less visited, but more exciting. Though called a castle, it's categorized as a palace because of its architectural style. Built by King Ludwig II between 1874 and 1879, it lies nestled in one of the most breathtaking valley vistas to be found in Bavaria. Though small in comparison to many palaces, Linderhof is a fantasy of perfection in design and décor. The grounds are laid out along a natural basin, with the palace on one side and a Temple to Venus on the other. Gardens, fountains, and a large ornamental lake are stretched out in a series of terraced levels between the two. Formal gardens with myriad fountains behind and on the sides of the palace can be seen from every window.

The interior of Linderhof is "over-the-top" extravagance. Ludwig II, often called "Mad King Ludwig," was actually far from mad, Melanie says. History has labeled this sensitive potentate as "crazy" perhaps because he was simply a lover of beauty and an incurable romantic who wasn't suited to Europe's cutthroat political machinations.

Ludwig built Linderhof as his personal hideaway and spared no expense in outfitting the palace with gold and crystal. One room has a corridor of mirrors positioned to give the impression of rooms trailing away to infinity. Its style is a mix of Italian Renaissance and Baroque, and the lavish use of detail and flourishes far outstrips even the super-luxurious Versailles. Linderhof is closed on major holidays and is seen by guided tour only. Admission is about $5.

Just inside the Vienna city limits in Austria is one of the most enormous palaces ever built, Schonbrunn Palace. With more than 1,400 rooms, it was the home of one of the most powerful dynasties in Europe, the Imperial family of the Habsburgs. An impressive approach up the Schonbrunner Schlosse-strasse allows you to see the true scale of the vast, U-shaped palace.

Its real magnificence, however, lies in the vast formal grounds behind the estate, Melanie says. From the rear, gardens are laid along fanning gravel walks like the spokes of a wheel from a large central elongated court. At the far end of the estate is the Gloriette that offers stunning views of the grounds and of Vienna in the distance. Tucked among the gardens, you'll find the world's first zoo, or Tiergarten; the Palmenhaus, or greenhouse, for exotic warm-weather plants; the Schmetterlinghaus, or butterfly pavilion; the Wagenburg, or carriage house; and lovely Roman ruins, now a backdrop for summer opera.

Forty of the palace's 1,400 rooms are open to the public. Hidden stairwells and wall heaters where servants fueled the furnaces from hidden passageways are just a few of the secrets revealed. The tour visits the room where a six-year- old Mozart played for Empress Maria Theresia and the salon where Khrushchev met with John F. Kennedy.

This is one place where Melanie favors a fall tour. The crowds are gone, the opera season is gearing up, deliciously heavy desserts are appearing in the cafes, a river cruise up the Danube to the monastery at Melk showcases some fall color, and a nice cup of coffee can still be enjoyed outside one of the many coffee houses on warmer days.

To reach the palace, take the U4 subway to stop "Schonbrunn." An entrance to the grounds lies just across the road. The grand tour of the palace costs about $8.40. Combo tickets that allow multiple building admissions can also be purchased. Open daily 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, 4:30 pm in winter.

Imagine a royal Christmas at the turn of the 18th century: heavy linens, crystal and china stamped with royal insignia and sugared fruit piled high. You, too, can be swept back in time to the era of William and Mary by touring the Dutch Paleis Het Loo ("het low") in Apeldoorn, Holland. (Mary, the daughter of King James of England and her Dutch husband, Willem, were to become joint rulers of Scotland, England, and Ireland during the late 17th century.)

This spectacular palace was the summer residence for the House of Orange from 1686 until 1975 (Queen Julianna of The Netherlands still lives on an estate, Soestdijk, directly adjacent to the palace grounds, and can occasionally be seen strolling among the gardens.) Set among the vast holdings of the 25,000-acre Royal Forest, Het Loo enjoys a serene setting amid the normally crowded Dutch landscape.

Melanie recommends a Christmas visit when the palace is decorated as it would have been for royal guests during the time of William and Mary. The original china and crystal of the royal family are set amid stunning displays of period candies and lavish floral arrangements. All this is further enhanced by individual "candle lamps" that give off the exact wattage of a single candle flame.

Visitors can dine in Balzaal Paleis Het Loo restaurant, one of the original ballrooms decorated with Christmas trees hung with antique reproduction ornaments from that period. The original ceiling and paneling add to the authentic "House of Orange" atmosphere. It's easier to imagine real people living in this palace than most others. The rooms are decorated much as they were then. A collection of Mary's blue Delft- ware is displayed on the mantle in her small room overlooking the gardens, and Willem's cozy corner library is on view as well. The gardens are lovely and a tour of the renovated stables shows a collection of state carriages still used today during Prinsendag, the formal opening of Parliament by Queen Beatrix. Most tours are self-guided, and you'll find the English language information provided to be in-depth and well organized.

Melanie says in her imagination she's eaten with kings, danced with courtiers, watched opera with Wagner, plotted the political demise of emperors, and hunted stag alongside princes. Who else can say that? Perhaps you?

CASTLES AND PALACES: JUST THE FACTS

Rosenborg Castle, Oster Volgrade 4A, Copenhagen
Phone: (45) 33-15-32-86 ; www.aok.dk/(search for "rosenborg").

Kasteel De Haar, Haarzuilens, The Netherlands
Phone: (31) 30-677-3804; fax (31) 30-677-5827.
E-mail:information@kasteeldehaar.nl; www.kasteeldehaar.nl/.

Linderhof Castle;
Phone: (49) 8822-92030; fax (49) 8822-920311
E-mail:info@linderhof.de; www.linderhof.de/.

Schonbrunn Palace
Phone (43) 1-811-13; fax (43) 1-81211-06; www.schoenbrunn.at/.

Dutch Paleis Het Loo, Apeldoorn, Holland
Phone (31) 55-577-2400; www.hetloo.nl/.

August 2001