The Harry Potter Fandom has always looked forward to knowing and visiting the locations where some of their favorite scenes of the series were shot. After watching the series, one cannot help but wonder if it was all made up, or if the locations were at least real. The good news is that many of …
The Harry Potter Fandom has always looked forward to knowing and visiting the locations where some of their favorite scenes of the series were shot. After watching the series, one cannot help but wonder if it was all made up, or if the locations were at least real.
The good news is that many of the Harry Potter scenes were shot in real locations.
On top of that, there are also cool sites to visit where the legendary scenes have been built for tourism purposes. These locations cut across England, Scotland, and a few across Europe. If you are all saddled to travel to these locations, then saddle up and read to the end!
There is a saying that those who travel get to live many lives in one!
If you are a fan of the Harry Potters series and the Hogwarts castle, here are the real-life locations you can go to feel the action and experience the magic.
1. The Alnwick Castle
This is the closest you will ever get to seeing Hogwarts castle live.
Expert analysts identified this castle as where most of the outdoor actions took place in the Harry Potters series and it was later confirmed by the filmmakers to be true.
When you visit the location, you will find that there were serious magical permutations made to transform the Alnwick castle into the legendary impenetrable Hogwarts castle.
Some of the fan’s favorite scenes which were shot at the Alnwick castle include:
The Quidditch scenes where the tournaments were played.
The scene where Harry and Ron crashed their flying car
The inside courtyard scenes where students went back and forth
The place where Madam Hooch taught Harry and other students how to fly on broomsticks, etc.
As you experience the outside landscape, you will realize that CGI may have played a serious role in embellishing the castle with high-end turrets and the final polished looks.
2. The Australian House and the Durham Cathedral
The Gringotts Bank was shot in the Australia House while professor McGonagall’s classroom scenes were shot at the Durham Cathedral.
Did you also know that the Hogsmeade village train is the Jacobite Steam train? You can take a ride on Hogwarts Express/ Jacobsite Steam Train and enjoy the fun.
3. The Seventh Century Gloucester Cathedral
This is where the corridor shots (that is, the Gryffindor corridor) were made and the place where moaning myrtle flooded the toilet (the Harry Potter Lavatorium scene).
The Seventh Century Gloucester Cathedral is located in the West of England is quite a stunning sight.
4. Oxford University
Oxford University isn’t only legendary for its reputation. Its halls served as the location for many of the Harry Potter Scenes. It was its interiors that were used to shoot the hall scenes where Harry, Ron, Hermione, and their lots were received into Hogwarts.
The hall was supported with a skylike roof where the children marveled upon entry.
Its interior also served as their dining room where children often talked about strange happenings in the Hogwarts castle or their next plans.
5. New College Oxford
This is the location for some of the courtyard scenes.
It was used in the Goblet of Fire when Harry was teased and in the Oaktree scene where mad Eye Moddy turned Malfoy into a ferret.
This is a great location to go to relieve some of the Harry Potter scenes live.
6. Bodleian Library, Oxford
The Hogwarts castle was a school for witches, so that justifies why many of its interior scenes were shot in universities and locations with ancient decors.
The Bodleian Library, Oxford was used in most of the library scenes such as;
The Hogwarts library was filled at Duke Humfrey’s library (Hermione is seen reading there many times in the series).
The Hogwarts infirmary was shot at the 1488 English Gothic Room of the Divinity School.
7. Lacock Abbey and Village
The Lacock Abbey dates back to the 13th century and that gives it an eerie old and unique look; one which was exploited by the Harry Potter’s filming team.
The Godric’s Hollow and Harry’s family cottage scenes were filmed in Lacock village.
It is very easy to recognize the cloisters in the village and you can find the giant cauldron that Professor Quirrell used in his defense against dark magic classes in Lacock Abbey’s warming room.
Likewise, the Chapter House was used to film the location where harry saw the Mirror of Erised in The Philosophers stone part.
8. London’s Leadenhall Market
In the Philosopher’s stone, the Leadenhall market made a fundamental shooting scene. This Victorian-like marketplace with its ornate roof and cobbled floors is where some of the leaky cauldrons and Diagon Alley scenes were shot.
It is open to the public, for free.
9. Kings Cross Station, London
No one can forget the Hogwarts Express scene where Harry struggled to find platform 9 ¾ where he would commute to Hogwarts.
Unfortunately, there is no such platform 9 (at least not one that our muggle eyes can see), however, a corner has been dedicated to fans of Harry Potter, where you can find a trolley like the one Harry used.
People often line up to take shots there as if they were on their way to Hogwarts.
10. Harry Potter Studio Tour in Leavesden
Last but not least on this list is the Warner Bros Harry Potter Studio Tour where many of the indoor scenes have been shot and some of the scenes have been represented for tourism purposes.
You can find the image of Professor Dumbledore and a handful of other participants in the studio.
If you noticed, most of the locations are scattered across London, and mostly Scotland, that is because J. K. Rowlings confessed to having imagined Scotland in most of her writings of the Harry Potter Series.
Thanks for sticking to the end! Watch this space for more historical facts about the Harry Potter series.
The well-known Netflix series “The Witcher“ acquired a massive audience for its fascinating story, graphics, scenery and background fortresses used. Have you wondered if the castles in The Witcher are real?
Most of the castles used in filming “The Witcher” series are real-life castles like; Ogrodzieniec Castle in Poland, Kruzenstein Castle in Austria, Vajdahunyad Castle and Tata Castle in Hungary. However, the Aretuza Fortress( the Magical Academy) is Computer Generated Design.
Let’s discover together a bit more about these castles, as well as travel information.
Why producers chose this castles for The Witcher series
The Witcher Series creators don’t say much information about the reason behind the selection of these specific castles, but we can guess that the buildings matched most of the book’s descriptions.
Being book-based, that gave more of freedom to the directors in choosing the castles for the film.
Although a real castle looks more natural and involves less CGI work than recreating the ones from The Witcher video game.
Once reading the books, you can feel how accented the writer Andrzej Sapkowski’s is on the character’s emotions mainly.
By combining all these aspects like; talented protagonists, CGI effects, real-life medieval architecture and costumes, the Witcher proudly stands at the same level as the Game of Thrones series.
Filming of the series took place in locations like Canary Island, Hungary and Poland.
Ogrodzieniec Castle ( in the final episode)
One Castle particularly caught our attention is Ogrodzieniec Castle near Krakow, you have seen it in the final episode of the first season of the battle of Sudden.
If you like to find out more about famous castles used in the movies, we encourage you to check out our Castles in the movies section for more fun articles.
Do you need to book in advance to visit Ogrodzieniec Castle?
As the Castle is quite a popular tourist destination, tourists who already visited the Castle highly recommend booking the tickets in advance.
There are nine different tours available for you to visit the Ogrodzieniec Castle you can book on TripAdvisor.
With TripAdvisor, you can cancel up to 24h before your tour starts, and you get the full refund.
What’s the best way to see Ogrodzieniec Castle?
The best way to see the Ogrodzieniec Castle is by booking in advance the tours offered by tripadvisor.com and also checking their website’s calendar for exciting shows and events happening at the time of your visit.
It will take you an hour and twenty minutes to drive to the Castle from Krakow, or with the bus D10 from the central bus station in the city which costs about 18 zl.
What attractions are near Ogrodzieniec Castle?
If you have allowed yourself plenty of time to visit the Castle, there are few more attractions to fulfil today!
The Netflix Filming crew picked Vajdahunyad Castle to use as the inner courtyard of the wizard Stregobor’s house.
Build in 1896 as part of the Millennial Exhibition, and it’s a copy of the Corvinilor Castle in Romania.
Today hosts one of the most prominent agricultural museums in Europe.
Best way to experience the Vajdahunyad Castle
Obviously, TripAdvisor comes in handy as usual with top-rated tours, which, according to the travellers, is the best way to experience the Vajdahunyad Castle.
Best place to go for a meal near Vajdahunyad Castle?
Hungary is famous among the tourists for its incredibly delicious cuisine.
However, we have laid down a list of restaurants that are closer to the Castle:
Another Hungarian landmark representing the Yennifer house in episode five of The Witcher series is Tata Castle.
If visiting all The Witcher Series filming grounds is your goal, it would’ve been a shame not to check out the Tata Castle which is only an hour drive from Budapest.
Built in the 14th century on the north side of lake Öreg, it’s one of the jewels of Tata city.
A summer resort and a residence of two kings Sigismund of Luxembourg (r. 1433–1437) and Mátyás Hunyadi (r. 1458–1490).
You can easily reserve a day for visiting the Castle, as there is so much to see for couples or a family day out.
Summary
We hope you found the information you were curious about and enjoyed the article. We only hope there will be more seasons of The Witcher and more forgiven castles will be promoted by Netflix.
If you are a castle lover, you can come back anytime to our blog section for more articles about castles in your free time.
Yes, most of the castles in Game of Thrones are real. Some of them were partially completed or added with CGI graphics for a more dramatic impact. There are 13 real castles around the world used in the series, where you can recreate the famous Game of Thrones scenes.
The castles in Harry Potter are varied and imaginative. One of the movie’s high points is the usage of real locations as opposed to a green screen. This is especially obvious when it comes to castles such as Hogwarts, which look absolutely stunning on the big screen.
Game of Thrones has taken over the world in many languages and countries. But, are the castles in Game of Thrones real?
Yes, most of the castles in Game of Thrones are real. Some of them were partially completed or added with CGI graphics for a more dramatic impact. There are 13 real castles around the world used in the series, where you can recreate the famous Game of Thrones scenes.
The famous scene involved Ned Stark when he was young, and his king’s guard uses their swords to fight with Ser Arthur Dayne and some Targaryen.
The castle stands on a large rock, with a height of 1,400 meters. You can also quickly identify Zafra, as it’s the only building in the middle of the Calderon mountain range.
While this castle is small, it was initially people built to serve as a defensive structure.
During its history, many armies have tried to conquer the castle but failed.
Since 1970 the castle is private property, the owner has spent many years restoring the castle.
Throughout the years from the 16th-18th century, many royals and members of the military have occupied it.
Then during the 19th century, ownership got transferred back to the state for restoration, and Historic Environment Scotland now owns Doune Castle.
The castle kitchen is one of the best types of castle kitchens in Scotland at its time. You can also visit its courtyard and curtain wall where there are roofs and steep steps.
You can also visit this castle during different periods of the year.
Prices vary depending on age; however, they usually range from £5.40- £9.00. You can check here for more information about visiting.
About Castle Ward
Stark fans, Castle Ward Winterfell’s farmland is another place for you! This castle is owned by the National Trust and is in Strangford, Northern Ireland.
Unlike other castles, Castle Ward could be a new castle as construction work started in the late 17th century.
Today, this castle is available to all members of the public; but owned by the Ward family.
The reason you’ll recognise this castle if you’re a Game of Thrones fan is due to its 820 acres of landscaped gardens, which is Winterfell’s backdrop.
When you reach Castle Ward, you can go on a self-led tour of the castle.
Typically when visiting, you will see its dining room, boudoir, mansion house, tea room and a book shop. For more about visiting Castle Ward, you can check here.
About Castillo de Trujilo
If you like the House of Lannister, then you may want to visit Castillo de Trujillo, which is in Spain’s town of Trujillo.
Based in Dubrovnik, this fortress is believed to date back to the 10th century however records showed the first sign of its existence in the 13th century.
This stunning fortress is made out of limestone and is located 121 feet on rocks above sea level.
Its purpose was to defend against Venetian attacks from the sea and the land. Sometimes, Lovrijenac would have 25 people operating it at a time.
On the inside, the walls are 24 inches thick. Leading to Lovrijenac are two drawbridges and a gate.
To reach the fort, you have to walk around 200 or so steps, and it can get popular in the summer months.
About Castell de Santa Florentina
During season 6 of Game of Thrones, Samwell Tarly moved back to his ancestral home known on our screens as Horn Hill.
In real life, this stunning structure castle lovers know as the Castell de Santa Florentina in Spain. This castle is on the outskirts of Barcelona in the quaint town of Canet de Mar, Catalonia.
This castle dates back to the 11th century, and it has a medieval structure.
Initially, the castle was built by Guadimir de Canet and then expanded during the 14th century by a noble knight known as Ferrer de Canet.
Ferrer was also an advisor to the kings of Aragon.
Similarly, passed to his ancestors, who own this castle today. Even though it’s a private castle, you can still visit it, if you book an appointment in advance by emailing the management at info@castelldesantaflorentina.com
About Castillo Almodóvar
If you’ve seen House Tyrell’s high garden, then you will surely recognise Castillo Almodóvar. This castle is in the province of Corboda, Spain.
This castle was built in the 8th century and came of a Muslim origin.
Previously it was a Roman fort, has Arab renovation and underwent many reconstructions.
However today, the castle remains privately owned.
When visiting you can see breathtaking panoramic views of the local countryside and nearby town.
If you plan to visit, the castle is open seven days a week and prices for admission range from 4-7 euros, children under four can enter for free. Plus, if you’re a foodie, you can eat inside too.
About Alcázar of Seville
In season 5 you see gorgeous gardens of the House of Martell in the city of Sunspear, in Game of Thrones.
What’s more remarkable about these gardens is that they belong to a magnificent palace known as the Royal Alcázar of Seville in Seville, Spain.
After 913, it went under further construction in the 11th century by a king at the time.
Over time this palace witnessed many births of royalty one, in particular, was the Infanta Maria of Antonietta of Spain in 1729.
The architecture of this place is remarkable, with many stunning architectural styles.
However, none of the architecture is what remains of its initial design. Today, the Alcázar has a range of designs from Islamic, to the renaissance, to gothic and Christian architecture.
One of the most noticeable things about its design is its tiles. The Alcázar has two types of tiles, which are majolica and arista.
If you want to visit, this is a popular attraction and can become busy on the weekends.
About Peñíscola Castle
This castle is one of the famous places in Game of Thrones, where Daenerys Targaryen (Mother of Dragons aka Khaleesi) takes over the city and frees the sullied slaves from the army.
Plus it has the artillery park which appears in episode 4 of season 6.
Peñíscola Castle is located just to the north of Valencia in Spain. The castle itself is in the Peñíscola municipality in the Castellón province of Valencia.
When you arrive there, it’s easy to spot as the castle is in the highest location, overlooking the Mediterranean sea. We say high as it has an altitude of 64 meters above sea level.
It’s believed templar knights constructed it in XIII in an old Arab settlement.
However, the descriptions of the castle become more detailed in the 13th century by James of Aragon.
Peñíscola Castle has stunning authentic gothic romantic type architecture. When visiting the fortification, you can see the entrance hall, stables, guardhouse, gothic room, water house, great kitchen, Papa Luna tower, a church and a chapel.
About Shane’s Castle
Shane’s Castle in Northern Ireland, you’ll recognise from Game of Thrones season 6! It’s also shown in season 1 and season 2, a fight between Jamie Lannister and Brienne of Tarth.
If you’re travelling to see this castle, it’s situated next to Randal’s town in Country Antrim, Northern Ireland.
Around the castle, there are about 800 acres of farmland and 1000 acres of woodland. However, there’s not much to the castle itself as there are a lot of ruins to explore.
About Ait Benhaddou
In the tenth and final episode of Game of Thrones third season, you’ll see Ait Benhaddou. In particular, you will see Daenerys Targaryan chanting the Mhysa.
It is also in The Mummy, Son of God, Gladiator, Prince of Persia, Babel, The Jewel of the Nile and many more.
Apart from films, this remarkable castle is a UNESCO World Heritage site and has been since 1987. In
The Ait Benhaddou is in Morocco in the historical region of Ksar.
People often visit the Ait Benhaddou, for its breathtaking surrounding landscape.
About Gosford Castle
Riverrun in Game of Thrones in real life is Gosford Castle. You can find Gosford Castle in Gosford, Marketland in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The castle was built in the 1800s by the Earl of Gosford.
Who had the castle built in a Norman revival style by a British architect known as Thomas Hopper.
Until 1921, the Earl’s of Gosford occupied this castle and was taken over by Northern Ireland’s ministry of agriculture.
Not only is this castle grade A listed, however, it is also in the middle of a gorgeous park. Also, there are beautiful woodlands and gardens, full of red deer.
Dunluce Castle
If you like the House of Greyjoy, you’ll be able to visit it in person at Dunluce Castle. This castle is located in Bushmills in Northern Ireland on the County Antrim coast.
Historians are not sure exactly when built; however, its existence was first documented in 1513 by the owner of the McWilliam family.
Today the medieval castle is not that well kept and subject to many ruins. The only way of accessing this castle is via a bridge.
This restriction does not limit the number of people who come to visit Dunluce—estimated that over 80,000 visitors a year come to visit Dunluce Castle.
Well, there you have the 13 real-life Game of Thrones castles to visit in Europe and Spain.
Game of Thrones is a brilliant tv series to watch; however, we feel the castles are worthy of visiting in themselves, even if you haven’t watched the series!
Check out our castles from movies section on our blog to find out the most used castles in films.
The castles in Harry Potter are varied and imaginative. One of the movie’s high points is the usage of real locations as opposed to a green screen. This is especially obvious when it comes to castles such as Hogwarts, which look absolutely stunning on the big screen.
Going through all Harry Potter films, there are impressive scenery, graphics and old magical style buildings. But can you find them in the real world?
The castles in Harry Potter are varied and imaginative. One of the movie’s high points is the usage of real locations as opposed to a green screen. This is especially obvious when it comes to castles such as Hogwarts, which look absolutely stunning on the big screen.
Alnwick Castle is the second largest castle in the UK with living inhabitants. It has had its time as an outpost of the British military, as well as a college, refugee centre, and film centre.
It is perhaps most famous for being part of the filming of the first and second Harry Potter films. Its use started in autumn 2000, as a setting for the Philosopher’s Stone Hogwarts.
While it isn’t the only castle that has represented our favourite school of magic, it is the most famous and often used.
Within its Outer Bailey, there is a recognizable section where the students of Hogwarts were receiving flying lessons by Madam Hooch.
This is also where our protagonist was taught the fundamentals of Quidditch.
They were also using Alnwick’s other baileys as a filming location for many scenes, where Hogwarts students were tending to their daily business.
Furthermore, it was part of one of the series’ more iconic moments. When Ron and Harry took to the skies in the Weasley’s car, and then they crashed into the Alnwick Castle’s inner bailey.
Alnwick Castle
The Lion Arch, displayed on the big screen as a way in and out of the wizarding school, with the roads towards Hagrid’s hut and the Forbidden forest well in view.
This is by no means all that is to be found within the castle today.
Today, the castle has fully embraced its Harry Potter heritage, incorporating a variety of fun and engaging activities to its guests.
Alnwick Castle
Besides this, the castle also features a medieval arts & crafts group, as well as a “Dragon Quest” where visitors are free to live their epic tale.
If you’re a fan of Harry Potter and want to see where it all began, pay a visit to Alnwick Castle in Northumberland.
With a total of 775 rooms, if planning a visit, you will find something that interests you.
The American School Of Magic
There’s another castle used in the Harry Potter spinoff “Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them” where J.K. Rowling has confirmed that there’s another school of magic in the US.
Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them takes place in New York City, there, Newt Scamander meets a variety of people who were taught by an American School of Magic.
It is also revealed that this school is not whin NYC, but is instead of immigrant origin.
Pottermore shows us that there’s a total of 11 wizarding schools in the world.
While it was not confirmed nor denied in using a real castle for the shooting, Rowling might reveal its valid location someday.
Those That Aren’t Real
Now, you might be a bit disappointed that a lot of the castles you’ve seen in the movies aren’t real.
For example, the depiction of Beauxbatons Academy in France is entirely CGI, as well as all of the other castles you’ve seen.
Computer-generated effects persist even in some later shots of Hogwarts.
With that being said, a variety of other locations was used for the shoots.
If you’re looking to experience more of the Harry Potter universe in real life, you might find that it suits your needs to go through the variety of cathedrals such as Gloucester Cathedral.
At the Glouchester Cathedral, many of the Harry Potter fans report a genuinely magical experience.
This cathedral is featured in the Philosopher’s Stone, Chamber of Secrets, and the Half-Blood Prince.
It was used to display the interiors of Hogwarts, and the interior of the cathedral makes for some easily recognizable shots.
A variety of other locations such as the Millenium Bridge and Australia House were used in the shooting of the films.
Conclusion
To recap, the only two actual castles that were used in the shooting of the Harry Potter films are Alnwick Castle and Buckingham Palace.
While that is true, it is worth saying that both of these locations are well-worth visiting.
Alnwick Castle has fully embraced its identity as part of the Harry Potter shoot and offers a variety of fun activities for adults and children alike.
It is also simply a gorgeous location to spend a weekend at, and it is simply a trove of history and wonder.
Buckingham Palace was only used in a single shot; however, it is by far one of England’s biggest tourist attractions, and its entire architecture is somewhat reminiscent of the Harry Potter universe.
Universal Studios in Florida offers by far the most genuine Harry Potter showcase.
While it lacks in any real history, if all you want to do is relive the locations from the movies and have an interactive time, this is the place for you.
While the American school of magic revealed in “Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them” might not be real, only time will tell.
If you’re willing to extend your definition of “castle” a little bit, there’s a variety of impressive cathedrals and buildings that you can visit.
Finally, while a lot of the castles in the movies are purely CGI, visiting European castles is bound to show you where the inspiration came from.
Even if they weren’t used in the shoots, castles like Château de Chambord offer a Harry Potter vibe and let you take a peek into Rowling’s mind as she was thinking of them.
However, if you’re in the US and ask yourself if there are any castles in your country, we suggest checking out our recent article about castles in America.
Thanks for reading the article please check our blog section for more articles about history, travel, and the movies where castles have been used.
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