It’s easy to find luxurious residences in California, considering that movie stars and technology magnates build authentic palaces that are expanded over time with swimming pools and yoga studios, but no place can match the magnificence of Hearst Castle. Designed at no expense by Julia Morgan, California’s first female architect, the Hearst Castle was designed as the private residence of publishing magnate Randolph Hearst. The complex, completed in 1947, is an extraordinary temple of opulence and excess. Currently the main attraction of California’s most visited state park, it is a must-see destination, a 165-room castle, 51 hectares of terraced gardens, fountains, swimming pools and breathtaking views of the sunny central coast.
