To all our fellow culture enthusiasts, just how much of your current obsession with medieval castles and charming European towns frozen in time can be traced back to the Disney tales you saw on repeat as a child?
It might be simple to forget nowadays, when extremely progressive creatives seem determined to rip cherished classics to shreds, however there was a time when Disney genuinely instigated awe.
If you’re missing out on those easier times and might use a spray of fairy dust, these 7 storybook towns across the pond are real-life entrances back to your favorite youth memories:
Sleeping Appeal’s Castle
Real-Life Variation: Neuschwanstein, Germany
Nestled in the German Alps, on a popular hill surrounded by verdant nature and snow-capped peaks, Neuschwanstein is arguably the blueprint for every single Disney princess castle around, though it bears a striking resemblance with Sleeping Beauty‘s.
The previous retreat of a Bavarian king, it is a fairytalish as castles come, with conical towers, concealed courtyards, and lush gardens, and if there’s anywhere in the world you could discover your gladly ever after, we’ll take a wild guess and state it remains in Neuschwanstein.
Frozen’s Arendelle
Real-Life Variation: Hallstatt, Austria
Wondering where Disney got ideas for Frozen‘s snow-clad kingdom of Arendelle from? Look no more than this quaint town in Austria, with centuries-old wooden homes and a picturesque church lining the water.
Suggestion? For the best possible view of Hallstatt, without the crowds, ensure you board the Hallstätter Seeschifffahrt at some point: it links the town to the train station, on the other side of the lake, and the townscape views are something right out of a fantasyland.
The Beauty And The Beast Village
Real-Life Version: Riquewihr, France
Among the most popular entries into the Disney cannon, Charm And The Monster is penetrated with referrals to France, however none as appealing, or fascinating to watch than the animated variation of Riquewihr, an actual place in the idyllic Alsace.
With half-timbered houses, cobble-paved streets, vintage bookshops, and even a romantic well that made it on the screen, it isn’t hard to picture a fantasizing Belle strolling around as she belts out a melodic bonjour!— if you utilized to gather colorful cassettes in the 90s, you’ll get the ref.
Luca’s Portorosso
Real-Life Version: Cinque Terre, Italy
This one’s for the Disney grownups who are still keeping up to the date with the current releases: this generation’s Little Mermaid, Luca follows a sea creature imagining entering into the human world, except it’s not set in Denmark.
Instead, the background to that story is Portorosso, a fictional town in Italy that greatly draws inspiration from the quintet of seaside villages called Cinque Terre– which, may we include, are characterized by their pastel-colored exteriors and postcard-ready harbors.
The Little Mermaid’s Prince Eric’s Castle
Real-Life Version: Château de Chillon, Switzerland
Obviously Luca’s distant cousin Ariel would get a nod also: the Little Mermaid may be a Danish tale, however when it pertains to envisioning the animation’s waterside fortress, Disney turned to Switzerland’s lakeside Château de Chillon.
Located precisely halfway between the upscale resort town of Montreux, and a more easygoing Villeneuve– a half-hour walk from each– Chillon is perched on the coasts of Lake Geneva, and it’s the textbook example of a middle ages fortification that could function as a handsome castle.
Tangled’s Corona Kingdom
Real-Life Variation: Mont Saint-Michel, France
Among the most emblematic Disney castles of all time, Tangled‘s Corona is a prepared castle topped with skyrocketing towers, and surrounded by water, and if you think locations like these can’t possibly exist in our dimension, think again.
Mont Saint-Michel in France is the original Rapunzel’s kingdom, and a UNESCO-protected town situated on a tidal island off the coast of Northern France– with its wacky stores, family-owned crêperies, and historical abbey, it’s medieval Europe at its finest.
Brave’s Highland Castle
Real-Life Variation: Eilean Donan, Scotland
Glossy, curly red hair, an intense character, and a natural talent with the bow: Merida, the lead character in Scotland-based Brave, is adventure personified, and her homeland is pinned somewhere in the significant Scottish Highlands.
Now, the film isn’t embeded in any one specific real-life location, but nothing screams Brave quite like a highland castle, and Eilean Donan, nestled on a small islet at the confluence of 3 sea lochs, fits the description completely.
Pinocchio’s Town
Real-Life Variation: Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany
Finally, for the hardcore Disney fans, Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a lesser-known town in the hinterlands of Germany, mostly built in the Middle Ages, that seems to have actually been conjured straight from an early Walt Disney sketch for Pinocchio.
It’s Rothenburg’s old townhouses, differentiated by their crookedness and steep roofs, storied workshops, and winding paths that led Gustaf Tenggren, among the concept artists, to come up with a loosely-inspired Italian look-alike.
Searching for Disney-coded locations? Check out these 4 other picture-perfect towns in Italy without the normal crowds, and just exhibiting that Vintage magic.
< img alt=""src ="https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/670a9f78091c16bd874672b1cb939f4e22e64fe6c391eb68b0f897b10dbfd49e?s=96&d=mm&r=g"height ="96" width="96"/ > Vinicius Costa Vini, our senior lead author at Travel Off Path, has more than 60+ countries under his belt (and presently weaving tales from Paris!), and a knack for turning off-the-beaten-path experiences into helpful stories that will have you loading your bags.
The Travel Off Path Benefit: Your Travel Toolkit