Fairy tales have captured our hearts and minds since once upon a time, and these imagined lands are often so vivid that they stay with us into adulthood. We dream of escaping to these fantastic, otherworldly settings to escape the bore of daily life.
But the authors who imagine these enchanting lands often draw inspiration from locations in real life. From the mountains of Germany to the plains of sub-Saharan Africa, there are many places around the world which look like they’ve been ripped from the pages of a fairy tale. And that’s because the real world inspired the story.
If you love fairy tales and have a serious case of wanderlust, you can visit these real places that inspired some of the best stories of all time. None of these destinations require a fairy godmother to reach – just a short flight!
These Real World Destinations Inspired Your Favorite Fairy Tales
Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany
In the southwest region of Bavaria, Germany, lies Neuschwanstein; the real world castle which inspired Sleeping Beauty, and which has been recreated at Disneyland in Anaheim and as the Cinderella Castle at Disney’s Magic Kingdom.
This extravagant castle was built in 1868 by King Ludwig II who wanted to withdraw from public life. When he died in 1886, the castle was opened to the public, and is now one of the most visited castles in Europe.
You can reach Neuschwanstein as a day trip from Munich.
The Serengeti, Africa
Hakuna matata! A classic safari destination, the Serengeti was inspiration for the Lion King, and travelers can relive the magic while immersing themselves among the largest populations of mammals in the world.
The Serengeti is a 12,000-square-mile region that extends from north Tanzania into southwestern Kenya. You can spot lions, elephants, gazelles, zebras and buffalos on either a private safari, or by joining a group tour.
The annual Wildebeest Migration is one of the prime attractions of the Park when vast numbers of hoofed animals are seen migrating from December to July.
France’s Alsace Region
Inspired by the real villages of Riquewihr and Ribeauvillé, these charming provincial towns became the setting for Belle’s hometown in Beauty and the Beast.
Two neighboring towns in France’s Alsace region, lined with colorful homes, cobblestone streets, and quaint shops, these are among the best-preserved historical towns in eastern Europe.
Also in the Alsace region, Colmar is often quoted as the prettiest town in France, and also looks like it’s straight out of Beauty and the Beast. Or does Beauty and the Beast look like it’s straight out of Colmar? There’s even an identical fountain to which Belle twirled around with her books and a gaggle of sheep.
Pro tip: Include a visit to Chateau de Chambord while in France. The creators of Beauty and the Beast decided to revamp the initial version of the film after visiting to make the real-life castle the fairytale home of the Beast.
Baghdad, Iraq
While not a hugely popular tourist destination right now, those seeking magical Arabian nights should take a magic carpet ride to Baghdad; a city that inspired tales of genies and magic lamps.
Disney’s Aladdin was actually meant to be set in Baghdad, but the film was in production during the First Gulf War (when the US was bombing Iraq), so they changed the name to Agrabah. The tale is based on Arabian folklore, and largely inspired by the 1940 film “The Thief of Bagdad.”
As far as inspiration for the Sultans palace, this is based on the white marble mausoleum that is the Taj Mahal, in Agra, India. We wonder if it also inspired the name of Agrabah.
The Forbidden City, China
A visit to the Forbidden City in China, and you’ll wonder if you’ve been transported into the legend and Disney classic that is Mulan.
Set during China’s Han Dynasty (from around 200 BC to 200 AD), the Emporers home is based on the Forbidden City, a Chinese imperial palace located in the heart of Beijing. It housed 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties, from the 14th century through the 20th century.
Ziegenhain, Germany
Beware of the wolf in Ziegenhain. This is considered the capital city of Germany’s Fairy Tale Road, a region which inspired Little Red Riding Hood by the Brothers Grimm.
Little red actually grew up in the Schwalm Valley, 65 miles northeast of Frankfurt. Traditionally, women of this region wore a certain color to signify their status: red for youth; green for young married; purple for middle age; and black for old age and mourning. Travelers today can still see young women in their red caps.
There are numerous legends and tales in the towns of the Schwalm-Eder county, and before the Brothers Grimm and Disney’s interpretations, Little Red Riding Hood was a violent moral tale designed to keep young women on a righteous path.
Also Visit
➡ Angel Falls in Venezuela if you are a fan of Up.
➡ Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy, France for fans of Tangled.
➡ Notre Dame in Paris, France for fans of The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
➡ Machu Picchu in Cusco, Peru for fans of The Emperor’s New Groove.
➡ Kauai, Hawaii for fans of Lilo and Stitch.
➡ Eilean Donan Castle in Scotland for fans of Brave.
➡ The Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia for fans of Finding Nemo.
➡ Trendelburg Tower in Germany’s Hesse region for fans of Repunzel.
➡ Zhangjiajie, China for fans of Avatar.
➡ Hobbiton, New Zealand for fans of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.
➡ Hotel de Glace near Quebec City, for fans of Frozen.
➡ Ashdown Forest in Southern England for fans of Winnie the Pooh.
➡ The French Laundry, Napa Valley, California for fans of Ratatouille.
➡ Chateau de Chillon, Lake Geneva, Switzerland for fans of The Little Mermaid.
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Photo credits: Neuschwanstein Castle by Andrew Czap. Colmar by Fonzie D. Chateau de Chambord by Bert Kaufmann. Forbidden City by Vineet Radhakrishnan. Hall of central harmony by See-ming Lee. Sunset at Neuschwanstein in Pinterest image by Jens Fricke.
24 Comments
Neuschwanstein Castle is at the very top of my bucket list and I am planning a trip to Munich just to see it – it’s incredible to me how much it looks like the illustrations of Sleeping Beauty from my childhood so in many ways I’m almost scared to visit! I didn’t realise Riquewihr and Ribeauvilléhad inspired Beauty and The Beast! Now I want to visit and breeze along the streets in a beautiful yellow dress.
I only had two days in Munich, but I was determined one of the days was going to be a trip to Neuschwanstein – it’s so worth it, such an incredible castle!! I don’t think they made many adjustments to the castle in the illustrations for Sleeping Beauty – pretty much sketched it exactly as is!!
If you’re in France, definitely check out Riquewihr and Ribeauvilléhad – you’ll be subconsciously humming Disney tunes :D!
Thanks for sharing. Germany as a country has been on my bucket list for years. I find the history fascicinating although after reading about the Neuschwanstein Castle. I think it’s really a time we visited. Also, for it to be only an hour outside of Munich is great. Not a lot of traveling
You could fill a whole bucket-list just with the castles throughout Germany, but obviously Neuschwanstein is like the shining jewel of that list!
I hope you do have the chance to visit soon :)
I have visited the Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany and I can tottally agree that is magical just like a fairy tale/ But the place that amazed me the most and I dream to visit it is Serengeti in Africa. To feel the emotion of this continent and watching the real wild life of the animal in this reagion… I’ m pretty sure that this will once in a life time experience!
Excellent spots as suggestions :)
Hi Dario, so glad that you enjoyed your time at Neuschwanstein – such a magical place! I visited during winter, and it was so beautiful against a frozen landscape, but would love to get back and visit during summer for the different view.
I hope you have the opportunity to visit the Serengeti – it’s a truly magical experience, and probably one of the highlights of my past 10 years of travels. You’re right, it’s a very emotional experience, and definitely something you’ll remember for the rest of your life.
Happy travels!
First I thought, “What, no Game of Thrones?” Perhaps the inspiration with that goes the other way. In any case, this list should come in handy for all fairy tale buffs out to track down shoot locations. The kid in me wants to go to all the castles, and the adult who loved The Last Emperor to the Forbidden City.
Haha is Game of Thrones a fairy tale? :D I actually haven’t watched it yet (blasphemy, I know!) but have read about the many incredible locations they film at. Iceland, Dubrovnik, Scotland – that does make for a pretty good bucketlist of fairy tale like landscapes!
This post enlivens my young age fanstasies. Visited the Alsace’s region and Notre Dame when I visited France last year and I really had a good time with my best friends. Now that you mention that Lion King was shot in Serengenti, I’d make sure I visit when I’m done volunteering in Africa.
If you’re volunteering in Africa, highly recommend a safari in the Serengeti. You’ll understand straight away why it was inspiration for the Lion King!
I agree that these fairy tales are magic in that the fantasies never fade away :)
Definitely Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany is high on my bucketist to visit, it is such a stunning place comes straight from a fairytale book. It will be like a dream come true..one day!
Seems to be a crowd favorite indeed! I hope you do have the opportunity to visit soon :)
Loved this tour. I knew them all except for Belle. (Probably because that was not a tale to which I ascribed.)
Glad you enjoyed the post Roy! Knowing all of them except one is a pretty good fairy tale score :D!
These really beautiful places to see. I am so fond of castles. Always wonder how would it feel to be inside of it. Germany is one of my fav places. ANd the two towns of France look so pretty with the coloured houses and water stream in front of them. That’s where I want a house. :)
I would love to live in the Alsace region of France – maybe we can be neighbors lol :)
How interesting to see some of these places as they really are. I have to confess I’m only familiar with the older tales, like Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, Little Red Riding Hood, and the Arabian Nights. I don’t think seeing the places that may have inspired them changes how I feel about the stories.
Definitely didn’t change the way I felt about the stories for me, it’s quite a magical experience which reminds you why you love them so much :)
The most fairytale-like is possibly the one at the top of your list, Neuschwanstein Castle In Germany. Even the the teeming crowds, it seemed like I was in a dream there. I wonder how it would be if there were no people around! The Forbidden City is very tempting too..Hope to go soon.
Totally agree! I figured it would be a cop out not to have it at the top of the list :D I’m usually not a huge fan of crowds, but I do agree with you that they seem to fade away into the background when you’re staring at Neuschwanstein in the flesh!
You would probably have to pinch yourself if you were there with no people around – just to check you hadn’t actually fallen into the pages of a fairytale!!
these places and truth are like a fairy tale. I think that you have an excellent understanding of the beautiful
Glad you enjoyed the post :)
This was such a cool post! I had fun reading it and imagining the place vs the movie. I can’t believe I haven’t been to any of these destinations yet. I really want to see the castle in Germany for myself! Can’t believe the king built all that only to live in it for 20 years!
Glad you enjoyed it Francesca! I know, it’s hard to believe he only lived in it for 20 years – it’s definitely stood the test of time since then!