It’s safe to say that most of us grew up watching Disney movies and dreaming about the far off magical kingdoms where our favourite characters are living happily ever after. However, what we might not have realised is that most of these make-believe places are actually based on real-life landmarks…
1. Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany.
Epitomising not only the magic of Sleeping Beauty but the essence of Disney as a whole, this castle can be found featured in the Disney logo and also as the main landmark of all the Disneylands in the world. And if you look at the real-life inspiration – Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany – it isn’t hard to see why the Disney creators thought it was the perfect basis for their magical fairytale.
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2. Taj Mahal, India.
This one seems obvious now that we know it but the Sultan’s magnificent Palace in hit-movie Aladdin is actually based on one of the great wonders of the world, The Taj Mahal. How did we not notice this before?
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3. Forbidden City, Beijing, China.
This one really is a spitting image, almost as though the illustrators for the movie Mulan had copied a photograph of the Forbidden City in Beijing, China.
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4. Notre Dame, Paris, France.
This might be an obvious one considering the movie it features in as called The Hunchback of Notre Dame. However, what is lesser known is that after damage that this stunning gothic building incurred in the war it might not have been fully restored were it not for the success of the Victor Hugo novel.
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5. Alsace, France.
Who would have thought that the beautifully quaint ‘provincial’ village that features as Belle’s hometown in Beauty and the Beast was a real place? But it actually is a fully-functioning village in France called Alsace. We’re guessing this place must get a few visits from superfans, especially now that the live-action remake has proved such a success.
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6. Mont Saint-Michel, France.
The Mont Saint-Michel certainly is a magical spectacle in its own right so where better to base the magical kingdom from which Rapunzel is stolen in hit movie Tangled?
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7. Château de Chillon, Lake Geneva, Switzerland.
It turns our Prince Eric’s beautiful castle, where Ariel first gets her human legs in The Little Mermaid, is actually a real place. Not only this, but it actually turns out that Château de Chillon has been the source of countless inspiration for writers and poets for hundreds of years, seeing as its first known record in history is 1005!
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8. Segovia Castle, Spain.
Another one of the historical castles that Disney has borrowed inspiration from, the pointed turrets of the Alcázar of Segovia formed the vision of the Evil Queen’s castle in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
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9. Sydney Harbour, Australia.
We’re betting that the Australian tourist board were pretty happy when it turned out that the creators of Finding Nemo were making Sydney Harbour the main destination for Marlin and Dory’s quest to find Nemo.
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10. St. Olaf’s Church, Balestrand, Norway.
You might recognise this Norwegian 19th Century church from Disney’s most recent gargantuan hit, Frozen, where Elsa is crowned queen. Another thing Frozen fans would be quick to notice is that the name ‘Olaf’ was also given to the lovable snowman who stars alongside Elsa and Anna.
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