Most visitors to Amsterdam never make it past the canals. That’s entirely understandable, but it also means they miss something extraordinary. Within an hour or two of the capital, the Dutch countryside hides historic estates that rival anything you’ll find in France or Germany. Fewer crowds, lower prices, and stories that are anything but ordinary.

Versailles is extraordinary. It is also, on most days, extremely crowded. The good news is that the Île-de-France and its neighbouring departments contain dozens of historic châteaux that see a fraction of the crowds, and several that tell stories Versailles cannot. Within 90 minutes of Paris, these five reward the detour.

During our summer holiday in the Italian Alps, my wife and I set out to visit the Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi, located roughly ten kilometres south of Turin, Italy. Expecting a charming historical site, we were unprepared for the grandeur that awaited us. The Palazzina, with its breathtaking scale and exquisite detail, far surpassed our modest expectations…