The real-life places that have inspired film locations

We’ve all had that feeling – finding ourselves engrossed in a favourite film or TV show and wishing we could just be there.

From our favourite romantic comedies of all time to box sets that capture our hearts and minds, the setting can just be as important as the couples we root for or the lines that melt our hearts.

While sometimes things that seem too good to be true are, well, too good to be true, they’re more often than not inspired by real-life places.

Some of the best real-life places which inspired film locations

Sleeping Beauty

Neuschwanstein Castle

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Few places on Earth look almost as magical, majestic and make-believe as the fictional landmarks they’ve inspired, but Neuschwanstein Castle is just as stunning as Sleeping Beauty’s castle.

Nestled in the Bavarian Alps, Neuschwanstein Castle was home to King Ludwig II. It is widely reported that Walt Disney himself visited the castle not long before the original Sleeping Beauty (1959) went into production.

Frozen

A fjord in Norway, which inspired Disney's Frozen

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With a landscape as beautiful as the fjords in Norway, it was no wonder the filmmakers behind Disney’s Frozen couldn’t Let It Go (sorry).

There are plenty of real-life inspirations that helped create the enchanting world of the iconic animation – and most can be found in Norway. The medieval Borgund Stave Church is cited as a great influence on the architecture of the fictional kingdom of Arendelle.

Other noted highlights that inspired the film include Oslo’s Akershus Fortress and the historic wharf of Bryggen in Bergen. And, of course, the magical lights that are conjured up by the Troll King are the very real aurora borealis, or Northern Lights.

Hercules

Ruins in Greece

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This one isn’t too surprising, considering Hercules (1997) tells the tale of the son of Zeus from Greek Mythology. However, the Disney classic faithfully recreates or takes inspiration from many existing Greek monuments too.

Phil’s Island is based on the island of Rhodes, as implied by the Colossus of Rhodes ruins seen in some shots. There are also plenty of nods to real life structures, such as the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, the Acropolis, and the Temple of Zeus.

Moana

Samoa, in the Pacific Islands

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The Disney film about the Polynesian daughter who ventures into the far seas after hearing the cries of her ancestors takes place about 2,000 years ago on the fictional island of Motunui. However, the film is very much based on real-life locations.

The filmmakers assembled a group of experts to faithfully and respectfully capture the spirit of the Pacific Islands. While the filmmakers visited several islands, including Fiji and Tonga, it’s widely reported that Samoa—a nation made up of nine volcanic islands—is closest to Moana’s home.

Aladdin

The Taj Mahal

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Home to Princess Jasmine, the magnificent Sultan’s Palace from the 1992 animation Aladdin is inspired by India’s most famous monument, the Taj Mahal.

It’s not hard to see why the filmmakers turned to the monument for inspiration, with its stunning white marble, extravagant domes and minaret towers, as well as the glimmering pools and fountain.

Dirty Dancing

Kellerman's - the summer camp resort used in Dirty Dancing

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Dirty Dancing is one of the most iconic movies of the 80s. Not only did it make a heartthrob out of Patrick Swayze, fans across the globe would’ve dreamt of having a summer just like Baby’s at Kellerman’s.

While Baby and Johnny fell in love in the Catskills, the real-life Kellerman’s is located in the middle of a 2,600-acre nature reserve in Virginia and is surrounded by the Appalachian Mountains.

The Mountain Lake Lodge in Pembroke can be booked as a hotel – and often hosts Dirty Dancing-themed events.

Tangled

Mont Saint Michel, Normandy

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Mont-Saint-Michel is a small tidal island off the coast of Normandy and was the inspiration behind the castle from 2010’s Tangled.

The biggest inspiration for the film is the towering Benedictine Abbey, which inspired Rapunzel’s prison, Corona Castle. The entire island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and attracts over three million visitors each year.

101 Dalmatians

Regents Park in London

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England’s capital city is pivotal to the beloved classic, 101 Dalmatians.

Not only are plenty of landmarks peppered throughout both the animation and the live-action remake, but one of the most charming scenes takes place in Queen Mary’s Rose Garden, located within Regent’s Park.

With over 12,000 different varieties of rose and a stunning lake, it’s the perfect setting for Pongo and Perdita (plus their owners Roger and Anita) to bump into one another and fall in love.

The Little Mermaid

Château de Chillon, Switzerland

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If, like Ariel, you’ve wanted to be where the people are, you can recreate scenes from The Little Mermaid by visiting Switzerland’s serene Lake Geneva.

Prince Eric’s castle from Disney’s timeless tale was inspired by the equally beautiful Château de Chillon.

The castle has inspired other literary greats before. Lord Byron wrote about the iconic castle in his 1816 poem, The Prisoner of Chillon.

Mulan

Beijing

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Mulan has delighted fans for decades, the courageous tale of a woman who refused to let her gender hold her back in ancient China.

The beloved classic also put a lot of care and attention into capturing a sense of authenticity. The palace and gates featured in the film were modelled after the Forbidden City in Beijing, a historic site (now UNESCO-protected) where Chinese emperors lived between 1420 and 1912.

People can visit today as it’s used as a museum for ancient art and artefacts.

Downton Abbey

Highclere Castle, the real Downton Abbey

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For five seasons and two films, Downton Abbey transported fans to a bygone world of glamour and old-world charm. But if anyone wanted to hold on to a bit of that distinctly British feeling, they only need to travel to the actual Downton Abbey.

In reality, the sprawling country manor is Highclere Castle.

The castle, which allows visitors and hosts fun experiences year-round, is based in Hampshire and stands amongst 1000 acres of parkland.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

the Alcázar of Segovia

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The grand palace from Snow White, home to the Evil Queen, is modelled after the Alcázar of Segovia, a castle in central Spain.

Throughout the centuries it has been used as a military fort, a home to Spanish royalty, a prison, and, most recently, a museum.

Up

Angel Falls, Venezuela

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Pixar’s tearjerking film, Up, follows a grumpy old man who gets a new lease on life after going on an (accidental) adventure with a chirpy boy scout. While they travel through many lands in their hot-air balloon home, one such landmark is the fictional Lost World of Paradise Falls. For this mythical waterfall, filmmakers were inspired by the real-life Angel Falls in Venezuela.

The Princess and the Frog

Bourbon Street, New Orleans

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Lovingly recreated and full of the music and life which populate the real life New Orleans, Disney fans got a taste of the Deep South in The Princess and the Frog.

Real life locations which were painstakingly created and brought to animated life include Bourbon Street and the French Quarter.

Mary Poppins and Mary Poppins Returns

A plaque honouring the street where Mary Poppins' author lived

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Despite feeling oh-so British, prepare to be shocked… because the 1964 classic Mary Poppins was mostly filmed on set in California.

Despite this shocking news, Edwardian London plays heavily into the film – and indeed, the source text which inspired it all. London was so integral to the legend of Mary Poppins that fans can visit 50 Smith Street in Chelsea, where the book’s author P.L Travers lived for many years.

This address inspired the depiction of the Banks family home on Cherry Tree Lane.

Winnie the Pooh

A section of Ashdown Forest in Sussex

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The real-life inspiration for the Hundred Acre Wood and the House at Pooh Corner could be found near Ashdown Forest, in East Sussex. Per Smithsonian Magazine, A.A. Milne’s estate went up for sale and the inspiration for Winnie the Pooh’s many tales were evident throughout.

Across the gorgeous property and nearby woods, the real Christopher Robin – Christopher Robin Milne – lived in the home, with his stuffed animals serving as the inspiration for his father’s many iconic stories after the First World War.

Beauty and the Beast

The village of Riquewihr in France

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Even though they immortalised the town as a “poor provincial” one in song, the real-life town behind Beauty and the Beast is far from.

Packed full of medieval houses, charming cobblestones and picturesque scenes, Riquewihr in eastern France looks like it has leapt from the pages of a fairytale – which explains how it came to inspire the setting for the Disney classic.

Pinocchio (and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang)

Rothenburg, Germany

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The Bavarian town Rothenburg ob der Tauber is considered the inspiration for both the Disney classic Pinocchio and the iconic musical, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

The picturesque buildings and winding streets also sent filmmakers back to the German town to film parts of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

If the place didn’t already feel full of magic and enchantment, there’s a Christmas shop and museum open year round!

Brave

The Calanais Standing Stones

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The 2012 Pixar film, about a defiant Princess who refuses to follow centuries of sexist tradition, takes inspiration from several landmarks around Scotland. There are several scenes set within what is known to be a nod to the Calanais Stones.

Located on the Isle of Lewis, the landmark is a stone circle of thirteen stones with a monolith near the middle. Packed full of mystery and folklore, they’re thought to be everything from a prehistoric lunar observatory to a site of petrified giants.

The Wizard of Oz

White City, Chicago

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The magical world of Oz, and most notably the Emerald City, might seem like pure fictional magic, but it’s widely believed that writer Frank L. Baum was inspired to make his city of Oz an alternative version of the White City amusement park.

While lost to history somewhat, White City was, at the time, one of the most elaborate and imaginative sites in Chicago and held the World’s Columbian Exposition. Also known as Chicago’s World Fair, it offered a futuristic look at the world, which also could’ve inspired his forward-thinking image.

The Good Dinosaur

Grand Teton National Park

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There’s nothing quite so unchanging and powerful as nature – and the ancient peaks of Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming’s Jackson Hole valley were the perfect inspiration for 2015’s The Good Dinosaur.

Harry Potter (the train to Hogwarts)

The Glenfinnan Viaduct

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The Glenfinnan Viaduct, made famous as the bridge which takes the Hogwarts Express to the iconic castle, is, astoundingly, very real and very popular with tourists.

Surrounded by Scotland’s vast greenery, the bridge is easy to view by a nearby car park, and eager fans can also ride the track on the luxury Royal Scotsman train.

The Emperor’s New Groove

Machu Picchu

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Disney filmmakers drew their inspiration for 2000’s The Emperor’s New Groove from the real life ruins of Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu is an ancient Inca city located on a summit of the Andes, in Peru. It has since been regarded one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.

The Aristocats

A café in Paris

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Paris has inspired artists for centuries, and Disney’s purrfect film for cat lovers set the scene in the French capital.

While there’s plenty of Parisian flair recreated in the movie, it’s suggested that the Le Petit Café is based on the real Café de la Paix.

One of Paris’ most iconic cafés, it was opened in 1862 on the Place de l’Opéra and was a favourite spot for literary legends including Victor Hugo and Ernest Hemingway.

Cruella

Liberty in London

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The Liberty of today was recreated and reimagined for the Liberty of 1960s London in Disney’s prequel movie, Cruella.

Arthur Lasenby Liberty first opened up the iconic shop located near Oxford Circus in 1875, and the Liberty of today was completed in 1925.

Coco

Dia de los Muertos celebrations in Mexico

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The Pixar film Coco was inspired by many real-world locations in Mexico, including Santa Fe de la Laguna.

The city of Guanajuato is also an inspiration, located in the central region of Mexico, known for colonial Spanish architecture and quaint, picturesque streets.

Plenty of smaller, real-life villages and their vibrant celebrations for the Día de los Muertos festival are captured and recreated for the film.

Harry Potter (Hogwarts Dining Hall)

The Great Hall at Christchurch

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While filmmakers used Alnwick Castle as a filming location for the fantastical Hogwarts Castle, there’s another location which inspired scenes in the film. The interior of the magical dining hall was heavily inspired by the real-life Great Hall at Christchurch, a college at the prestigious Oxford University.

The Secret Garden

Great Maytham Hall in Kent

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Great Maytham Hall in Kent is inspiration to one of the most famous gardens of all time – and one of the most beloved tales.

Author Frances Hodgson Burnett saw a robin disappear behind a wall in the gardens of the house she was renting – and lo and behold! Behind a rusty, overlooked gate there was a secret garden waiting to be discovered and loved.

To this day, the hidden garden contains the summerhouse where Burnett sat to write.

Gilmore Girls

Kelly Bishop. Alexis Bledel and Lauren Graham

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Many TV fans have dreamed of visiting the quirky, quaint little town of Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls.

And, sadly, while Stars Hollow doesn’t exist, it was inspired by, and is loosely based on, several real communities across Connecticut.

The show’s creator, Amy Sherman-Palladino, has spoke about being inspired by a visit to the Mayflower Grace in Washington, Connecticut, as well as name-checking the villages of Washington and West Hartford, and the town of New Milford.

Luca

Cinque Terre, Italy

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Disney and Pixar’s luscious Italian film, Luca, ushered viewers to a pastel-tinted, sensory-pleasing recreation of the Cinque Terre in Liguria, Italy.

Monterosso is one of the five cliffside villages that directly inspired the settings of the film, along with Corniglia and Vernazza, whose piazza features in the film.

The Lion King

A scenic view of Kenya

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Hakuna Matata. It means no worries. And that’s exactly what one might have visiting some of the jaw-dropping vistas of natural beauty that helped inspire 1994’s The Lion King.

Several locations across Kenya inspired pivotal scenes from the classic animation, including Hell’s Gate National Park, Laikipia Plateau and Ndoto Mountains, which is thought to be Pride Rock.

The Holiday

Godalming in Surrey

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The idyllic cottage from the Christmas classic, The Holiday, is sadly not real. The exterior of Rosehill Cottage, which Kate Winslet moves out of so Cameron Diaz can move in and fall in love with Jude Law, was built for the purpose of filming. However, we have some good news for fans wanting a slice of that quaint charm.

First, it was based on the real Honeysuckle Cottage, dating back to the 1700s and situated in the real town of Holmbury St Mary. Secondly, other locations used in the film are real and available to visit, including the villages of Shere and Godalming in Surrey.

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