INCLINE VILLAGE, NEVADA (SPECIAL) – Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and while there’s nothing wrong with flowers, candy, and diamond necklaces, they’re not terribly imaginative. Besides, flowers wilt, candy gets eaten, and diamond necklaces can be stolen. Those who are looking for something to really wow their Valentine this year, with a gift that is both durable and wildly romantic, might consider surprising her (or him) with a private castle on a lake. As it happens, a famous chateau on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe, Nevada has just gone on the market. Cloaked in mystery and privacy behind its fanciful gates for nearly three decades, one of Tahoe’s dreamiest landmark properties is finally being opened for public viewing, just in time for Valentine’s Day 2011. Known simply as The Castle on Lake Tahoe, for reasons that are immediately obvious when viewing the property, it was recently named “The Most Romantic Home For Sale in America” by The Top Ten Real Estate Deals and CNBC.com.

And romantic it is, both in its history and its execution. Custom-designed and built over a period of three years in the early 1980s by the real estate investor who still owns it, the 9,000-square-foot Castle was inspired by some of the great castles of Europe, but has its own custom touches. According to the owner, local artisans and tradespeople were recruited to handcraft and customize the details of the façade, including the leaded, Tiffany-style stained-glass windows, decorative features, corbels, and finials. The resultant home has much of the beauty and grandeur of an Old-World castle, with the amenities and conveniences of one of the most affluent – and breathtakingly lovely – spots in the United States.

Nestled on 1.7 acres of woodland that includes whimsical flower gardens, a pond, pool, fountain, and even a freshwater stream, The Castle also features 180 feet of private lake frontage. A private buoy, boat launch, and pier with motorized boat and watercraft lifts provide easy access to Lake Tahoe. The snow-capped Sierras shimmer in the distance. The property is central to area ski resorts, hiking trails, lake attractions, entertainment centers, and the conveniences of Incline Village, Reno, and Carson City.

Tahoe’s Castle doesn’t come cheap, of course; the asking price is a cool 22.8 million dollars and change. Yet The Castle – and the surrounding area – stand resolutely in defiance of general market trends. “While sales of homes in general around the country are in decline, vacation homes and homes on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe are still in demand,” says a spokesperson for The Creek Trust, the group that is handling the sale. She adds that owners in the area are asking realistic prices, and sale prices are generally falling within 5-15% of asking prices.

Many people are attracted to the area not just for its beauty and recreational opportunities, but for the tax benefits of doing business – or retiring – in Nevada. “It’s definitely a good place for business people, not only for the tax benefits but because international prospects who frequent the San Francisco Bay or L.A. area are also drawn here,” says the Creek Trust spokesperson.

Silicon Valley entrepreneurs are known to frequent the area, and some pretty big names in the industry own multiple properties in the neighborhood. Other rich and famous neighbors include investment bankers and entertainment figures.

Besides marketing to qualified individual buyers or couples, the sellers are exploring shared ownership interests for The Castle. People who are interested, or know someone who might be, are urged to contact The Creek Trust quickly. The doors to this romantic retreat will be opened only to a handful of qualified buyers, though a virtual tour is now available on the sellers’ Web site (see link below).

It has often been said that a man’s (or woman’s) home is his (or her) castle. While there are very few cases in which this is literally true, it can be more than a metaphor for some fortunate prince and princess or elite group of purchasers. For the rest of us…well, at least there’s that virtual tour.

For more information and to take a virtual tour of The Castle, visit www.inclinecastle.com