The Château de Sceaux is a large estate in the suburbs of Paris, much closer than Versailles but also quite a bit smaller. But if you want to escape the ridiculous crowds at Versailles, I would highly recommend going here. The château itself is tiny compared with Paris’ more famous castle, but the interiors are divine and the gardens are sprawling and incredibly peaceful. Visiting Sceaux made me realise I need to research some of the other estates around Paris because there is so much more to see than just Versailles!