Being a princess and living in a castle is every little girl’s dream. Then you grow up, and realize that castles really do exist, and that they look even more beautiful than you imagined. A lot of them were built to keep kings and queens safe, while others served solely as summer residences, away from the madding crowds of the city. There are so many all over the world: they might be small, big, tall and low, and they all share the same capacity to provoke a sense of wonder in their visitors. We made our list of 7 of the most beautiful and spectacular castles in the world. Let’s be honest: our ancestors really had good taste, didn’t they?
Mont Saint Michel, France
(Flickr Vera Izrailit)
Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany
(Flickr gerdragon)
Bodiam Castle, England
(Flickr Andrew Foster)
Hohensalzburg Castle, Austria
(Flickr Bill Hertha)
Prague Castle, Czech Republic
(Flickr kat nienartowicz)
Castel Dell’Ovo, Naples, Italy
(Flickr cliff hellis)
Miranda Castle, Belgium
(Flickr stibou5)
Alcazar of Segovia, Spain
(Flickr Gerwin Filius)