Stepping onto The Enchanted Hill: A Visit to Hearst Castle California August 2018

Prepare to be transported to a world of unimaginable opulence, history, and breathtaking beauty when you visit Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California! Perched majestically on the stunning Central Coast, this National Historic Landmark and California Historical Landmark was the extraordinary private residence of the influential newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst between 1919 and 1947. Today, thankfully for us, it's preserved as a California State Park, allowing the public to step back in time and explore this gilded age of excess, art, and architectural wonder.




Getting to Hearst Castle is part of the adventure itself. Located roughly halfway between the major cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles, there are plenty of easy ways to drive here. We opted for the incredibly scenic Highway 1 along the California coast, and while it took us about six hours of driving (including plenty of stops for photos of the stunning ocean views!), the journey felt like a destination in itself. The winding road and dramatic coastline build anticipation for the remarkable place you're headed. Arriving at the visitor center near the coast and then boarding the park's mandatory bus ride up the winding hillside road truly adds to the sense of ascent – you catch glimpses of the castle against the sky as you climb, building the excitement with every turn.





And then you see it, emerging on the hilltop – "La Cuesta Encantada," which translates to "The Enchanted Hill." William Randolph Hearst's chosen name for the property perfectly captures the feeling. Set apart, overlooking the vast Pacific Ocean in one direction and the rolling hills of the California landscape in the other, it truly feels like a place touched by magic (and immense wealth!). It's fascinating to think about the origins. Hearst's father, George Hearst, had purchased 40,000 acres of ranchland here back in 1865. William Randolph Hearst inherited the land from his mother, Phoebe Apperson Hearst, in 1919 and eventually expanded it to encompass an astonishing 250,000 acres.



Originally known simply as “Camp Hill,” the wilderness offered a magnificent, albeit rustic, campsite for family and friends who would visit. But Hearst, envisioning something far grander than tents, gave his famously understated instruction to the incredibly talented, pioneering San Francisco architect Julia Morgan in 1919: “Miss Morgan, we are tired of camping out in the open at the ranch in San Simeon and I would like to build a little something.” That "little something" blossomed into an estate of 165 rooms and 127 acres of gardens, terraces, pools, and walkways by 1947 – an American castle destined to become one of the world’s greatest showplaces for his vast and eclectic art collection.





The 127 acres of grounds are a spectacle in themselves. Wandering through the meticulously designed gardens, along the sweeping terraces, and down the various walkways is an experience filled with beauty and incredible views. The gardens are a mix of formal manicured areas adorned with sculptures and fountains, and more natural plantings that blend into the semi-arid hillside. From almost anywhere on the terraces, you get breathtaking panoramas overlooking the landscape and the distant ocean, making you appreciate why Hearst chose this specific, elevated spot. The estate also includes three large, opulent guesthouses (each grand enough to be a mansion on its own!) in addition to the main house, hinting at the sheer scale of hosting Hearst undertook.




And then there are the pools – perhaps the most famous features of the estate, instantly recognizable and utterly magnificent. The outdoor Neptune Pool is a breathtaking sight, with its classical Greek and Roman temple facade, shimmering blue water against white marble, intricate statues, and sheer grand scale. Equally, if not more, opulent is the indoor Roman Pool, tiled from floor to ceiling in stunning blue and gold mosaics, illuminated to feel like a luxurious ancient bathhouse. They are true works of art, embodying the height of luxury and design from that era.




Stepping inside the main mansion, Casa Grande, is truly like entering a treasure chest of global antiquities. The interiors are incredibly opulent, filled floor-to-ceiling with priceless Spanish and Italian antiques, tapestries, paintings, and architectural pieces that Hearst collected obsessively from around the world. What makes it a true "spectacle of art and architectural history" is how these centuries-old pieces – from Roman sarcophagi repurposed as planters to entire carved wooden ceilings, grand fireplaces, and stone doorways imported from European castles and churches – were integrated directly into the fabric of the modern building designed by Julia Morgan. It doesn't always feel like a traditional museum; it feels like an unbelievably wealthy, eccentric collector's personal home, albeit one on an unprecedented scale. Rooms like the massive Assembly Room, the formal Refectory dining hall, the Billiard Room, and the private (in its heyday) movie theater showcase this astonishing accumulation of global history and luxury, all surprisingly livable yet undeniably over the top.


It's fascinating to imagine what this place must have been like in its heyday – a playground for Hollywood stars, politicians, and international elite, hosting lavish parties. Guests would enjoy the private movie theater, play on the tennis courts, swim in those magnificent pools, and even observe exotic animals from Hearst's private zoo (long since relocated, thankfully, but adding to the wild legend of the place).



As noted, there's truly nothing else quite like Hearst Castle in the United States. While there are certainly other palatial mansions, the way Hearst and Morgan seamlessly integrated priceless, centuries-old European architectural elements and art pieces into the construction of a modern American estate on such a dramatic, remote hilltop setting makes it a singular achievement. It's not just a big house; it's a curated world built from history itself.