Castles. They are awesome. Giant fortifications built of stone and surrounded by moats, castles are probably the ultimate dream home for princesses everywhere. Here are 9 of the coolest castles ever to be found on Earth.

 Bran Castle (Dracula's Castle) of Romania (羅馬尼亞布朗城堡/德古拉城堡）

Bran Castle, as its name would suggest, sits on a giant rock hill near Bran, a tiny village near the city of Bra?ov, Romania. Dating back to the 13th century, the castle gained fame after Bram Stoker wrote "Dracula" in 1897. And though there is no evidence that Stoker even knew about the castle, and though the castle is only loosely tied to Vlad III, the ruler of Walachia who may or may not have been the inspiration for Stoker's titular character, the castle still bills itself as "Dracula's Castle" and attracts tourists everywhere. It is now a museum and national landmark in Romania. Its imposing towers and turrets, connected by a maze of corridors, were once used to store gunpowder. Now it houses art and furniture collected by Queen Marie, as well as weapons and armor from the 14th to 19th centuries.