The Enchanted Hill

On our way through to Santa Cruz we took a tour of the must-see Hearst Castle, also known as, The Enchanted Hill. More like a cathedral, this place was home to newspaper magnate William Randolf Hearst. Designed by a female architect, Julia Morgan between 1919 and 1947 (this was a big deal considering there were not many female architects around in the 1920s). The mansion is a treasure chest of relics and artwork from all over the world. With antique European ceilings, medieval tapestrys, books from English Kings and doors from ancient monasteries there is always something interesting to look at. It has 56 bedrooms and 61 bathrooms, 19 sitting rooms, secret doors and private lifts. Hearst use to invite guests to stay such as Charlie Chaplin, Winston Churchill, Clark Gable etc etc...

The Hearst family donated the house and all it's treasures to the state of California as a historic park where it is now open for public tours, the way he would have wanted it all to be shared and admired by many.