15 Real-Life Castles That Are More Beautiful Than Hogwarts

Once upon a time in a faraway land, there lived a…well, you know the story. With fairy tales, it’s easy to forget that castles are a thing that actually exist—and not just in mouse-themed amusement parks. They seem like such a magical work of fiction, but let’s not forget that real-life people actually lived in castles. And while my brain legit cannot imagine what the modern-day property taxes would be on one of these enormous structures, I’m still over here imagining what my royal quarters would look like. I mean, think of how cool it’d be to at least visit some of these towering abodes during their respective heydays. From the castle that inspired Bram Stroker’s Dracula to the beautiful kingdom that caught Walt Disney’s eye, let’s live like royalty for the next few minutes and explore 15 real-world castles.