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Fairy tales do come true! These lavish European hotel lodgings offer the royal treatment.

If you and your fiancé really want to feel like royalty on your European honeymoon, then do as the royals do: Stay in a castle! Throughout the Old World, estates that housed nobility for centuries have opened their doors to travelers. Some have prices that reflect their royal beginnings; others are surprisingly affordable. From fortresses to kings' retreats, castle-hotels offer a one-of-a-kind experience. Here are a few of the region's most popular spots.

Germany: Castle Hotel auf Schoenburg

Germany's Upper Middle Rhine River Valley is home to a staggering 40 castles and fortresses within a 40-mile stretch, which has earned the culturally rich area a designation as a UNESCO world heritage site. Several of these historic buildings have been transformed into hotels, offering guests the chance to explore the valley's monuments and vineyards by day and soak up its regal history firsthand in luxury accommodations at night. One favorite is the Castle Hotel auf Schoenburg, a storybook-perfect place with stone turrets and battlements that date back to the 10th century. The castle, which has a hilltop perch overlooking the Rhine and the winding streets of the medieval town of Oberwesel, has changed hands many times over the years; in the late 1800s an American restored the ruined building. Today, it is operated by the Hüttl family, who leased the castle in 1957 and established the hotel and restaurant currently located there.

Guests rave about its authentic rooms, in which dark-wood paneling, antiques and four-poster beds blend seamlessly with amenities like telephones, TVs and Internet access. The restaurant comes highly lauded as well: Selections change seasonally, and there's both a gourmet menu, which offers options like saddle of venison with truffle crêpes, and a less expensive menu of regional cuisine, with choices like fried breast of goose coated with nuts and spice-bread dumplings. For a romantic evening, dine on the Rhineview Terrace, overlooking the river far below.

To see the area's villages, churches and castles, you can take a riverboat day cruise or head out on a walking, hiking or cycling excursion. The hotel's Riesling Wine Tour, in which a wine grower from Oberwesel takes you on a sight-seeing trip through the town and its surrounding vineyards, is not to be missed: You'll get an introduction to winemaking in the Middle Rhine Valley, including a tour of a winery and a tasting (hotel-schoenburg.com).

France: Chateau de Boucéel

Located about four hours from Paris, in France's pastoral Normandy region, the stately Chateau de Boucéel is a registered historic monument—and the home of the gracious Count and Countess de Roquefeuil. That combination serves to make it a bed-and-breakfast where you can live like—and with—the nobility. The chateau, complete with a grand entrance, vast expanses of shining parquet floors, and walls hung with oil paintings that portray generations of ancestors, was built in 1763. Elegant guest rooms have massive windows looking out onto the grounds and opulent décor featuring family heirlooms—just so you don't forget that you're in a real, albeit grand, home. Chateau de Boucéel's estate grounds date to the 12th century and include a peaceful English-style park ornamented with ponds, an island, and a chapel that was built between the 12th and 15th centuries.

Guests who are history buffs should ask Count Regis de Roquefeuil about the property's fascinating past; he'll share stories of how the estate was the site of a battle during the French Revolution, and more recently, the place where members of the Gestapo seized his father, Arnaud, an artist and a participant in the French Resistance during World War II. (If you're looking for a souvenir of your stay, you can buy a copy of Chronique Illustrée de la Manche en Guerre, a book of Arnaud de Roquefeuil's drawings. The pages offer a compelling illustrated history of the fascinating life of one of Boucéel's former residents.)

There's also plenty of history to explore in the area surrounding the Boucéel estate. Mont St. Michel, one of France's—and possibly the world's—most impressive sights, is a 15-minute drive away; the tidal island (technically only an island at high tide) is the setting for a stunning abbey built at the beginning of the eighth century. Also on your to-do list are riding on horseback through the nearby woodlands, and visiting the D-Day landing beaches, which are about 90 minutes away by car (33-2-33-48-34-61; chateaudebouceel.com).

Italy: Villa d'Este

Northern Italy's breathtaking Lake Como, set amid rugged, soaring mountains, is an ideal getaway for a serene honeymoon. The lakeside Villa d'Este, today one of the world's most exclusive resorts, was built in 1568 as a summer residence of Cardinal Tolomeo Gallio. In 1815, it became the property of Caroline of Brunswick, Princess of Wales and wife of King George IV of England. The villa subsequently changed hands a number of times and, in 1873, was converted to a hotel. It has since hosted a slew of celebrities and others seeking world-class accommodations in a setting of awe-inspiring natural beauty.

The palatial Renaissance villa has an extensive art collection and a formal garden. Guest rooms have period furniture and oil paintings; sofas and chairs are covered with the silk for which the region is famous. Visitors have a number of options at mealtimes, including a formal dining room and covered veranda, an informal grill, a sundeck bar and a Japanese restaurant. Those looking to extend their evening can hit the villa's nightclub, or the Canova bar, where guests can listen to their favorite piano music while they enjoy a cocktail.

During the day, check out the spa, which offers everything from massages, reflexology and shiatsu to facials, or hang out by the unique "floating" pool, which looks as if it's part of the lake. Golfers can practice on the putting greens or visit the villa's par-69 golf course, which is located approximately seven miles from the hotel.

After a few days of relaxation, take the ferry and explore a few of the other towns on Lake Como, including Bellagio, the picture-perfect village that inspired the Las Vegas resort of the same name. When you're ready to go further afield, ask about the hotel's private day-long tours; a chauffeur-driven car can take you to destinations like Milan, the Italian Riviera, the vineyards of Langhe and Switzerland. Prepare for sticker shock—the bill is steep but the experience is worth it (39-031-3481; www.villadeste.it).

Ireland: Castle Durrow Country House Hotel

An hour outside of Dublin, the Castle Durrow Country House Hotel nestles in the rolling green hills of County Laois. The home was built for Captain William Flower in 1716, and it was not restored until 1998, when Peter and Shelly Stokes bought it. The couple kept most of the original architectural features but have added modern conveniences, creating a quiet country getaway that offers grand accommodations, excellent food, panoramic views and activities like tennis, clay pigeon shooting and archery.

Request the spacious Ashbrook suite, which has hardwood floors and high ceilings, as well as a gorgeous dark-wood bed complete with embroidered bed hangings. The suite's huge windows look onto the castle's gardens. If the Ashbrook is booked, opt for one of the castle's "master rooms," each of which has a sleigh- or four-poster bed and impressive views. (While on your way to these rooms, stop to appreciate the dramatic chandelier and the elaborate stained-glass window in the stately main stairwell.) Castle Durrow also offers fine dining to its guests, serving modern country-house cooking featuring local fish and game prepared with herbs and vegetables grown in the castle's kitchen garden; menus change weekly to reflect the season. After dinner, you can retire to the warm and cozy cocktail bar for a pint of Guinness or an Irish coffee.

Be sure to spend time exploring the castle grounds, and keep an eye out for the ghosts that reportedly make occasional appearances. You may spot "The Woman in White" near the obelisk in a field across the river from the castle. The monument is said to mark the spot where a young woman was thrown from her horse and killed. The spirits of Captain Jeremiah Grant and his band of highwaymen are also said to make the rounds in the Durrow area, protecting the loot they stole before they were hanged, in 1816.

If you feel the need for some extra pampering while on your country sojourn, you won't have to go far. The castle has its own salon (opened in February 2006), which offers manicures, pedicures, facials, massages, spray tanning and a variety of other spa services (353-57-873-6555; castledurrow.com).