Dream Sleeps: Castles and Palace Hotels of Europe

Why spend your vacation in a boring hotel chain when you could be staying in a castle? It's not just a matter of opulence and splendor (not that there's anything wrong with a taste for grandeur)--there's history and romance, too. Want to experience the flavor of Scotland's past? You can sleep in Mary Queen of Scots' bedroom at Borthwick Castle and dine by candle and firelight in the rustic great hall. For a moderate fee you can stay in a 14th-century Portuguese Castle (Pousada de Dom Dinis) or a medieval French Castle (Domaine de Castel Novel)--with a history that includes the Hundred Years' War and the author Colette, who wrote several of her novels there---or splash out for a night in the Gritti Palace, a 15th-century Venetian doge's spread that's hosted the Aga Khan, Queen Elizabeth II, and Ernest Hemingway. Pamela Barrus introduces 132 schlosses, chateaux, paradors, and villas across Austria, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, and Great Britain, telling their history, describing rooms and grounds, and providing details such as rates, fax numbers, amenities, when they're open, and what else there might be to do nearby beyond lolling in the lap of luxury. --Stephanie Gold