Ooh, now we’re talking magic meets reality. ✨🌍
Many of the most iconic fantasy worlds—those misty mountains, eerie forests, and ancient cities—have real-world roots. Authors and creators often draw from landscapes, legends, and architecture that exist right here on Earth. Let’s journey through real places that inspired fantasy realms, from Middle-earth to Westeros and beyond.
🏔️ 1. New Zealand – Middle-earth (The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit)
Inspiration For: Peter Jackson’s cinematic vision of Tolkien’s world
- Tolkien based Middle-earth on European landscapes, but it was New Zealand’s dramatic terrain that brought it to life on screen: rolling hills, jagged mountains, lush forests, volcanic plains.
- Places like:
- Hobbiton – Matamata
- Mount Doom – Mount Ngauruhoe
- Edoras – Mount Sunday
📸 You can actually visit the real Hobbiton—complete with the Green Dragon Inn.
🏰 2. Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany – Disney Castles / Fairytales
Inspiration For: The Disney logo and countless fantasy castles
- Built in the 19th century by King Ludwig II, it’s the ultimate storybook castle, perched high on a Bavarian hill.
- Inspired by medieval legends and Wagnerian operas, it fed into the aesthetics of Sleeping Beauty’s castle and other fantasy settings.
🏝️ 3. Skellig Michael, Ireland – Ahch-To (Star Wars: The Last Jedi)
Inspiration For: Luke Skywalker’s remote Jedi retreat
- This UNESCO-protected island off Ireland’s coast is home to ancient stone huts from a 6th-century monastic settlement.
- Its harsh, remote beauty made it the perfect real-world backdrop for a mythic, spiritual hideaway.
🏞️ 4. The Black Forest, Germany – Grimm Fairytales
Inspiration For: Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, and countless dark woods
- Dense, dark, and enchanted-feeling, the Schwarzwald (Black Forest) was the childhood stomping ground of the Brothers Grimm.
- It’s easy to imagine witches, wolves, or magical beings just beyond the trail.
🌋 5. Iceland – The Land Beyond the Wall (Game of Thrones)
Inspiration For: The icy wilderness north of the Wall
- The gritty, frozen landscapes of Iceland—glaciers, lava fields, steaming vents—were used in GoT to depict the untamed North.
- In folklore, Iceland already has elves, trolls, and spirits, making it a natural fit for fantasy.
🕌 6. Istanbul, Turkey – King’s Landing (Game of Thrones)
Inspiration For: George R.R. Martin’s urban world-building
- Though the show filmed King’s Landing in Dubrovnik, Byzantine Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) influenced GRRM’s vision of a city with:
- Layers of empire
- Rich religious and political intrigue
- Palaces, domes, and deadly politics
🏜️ 7. Wadi Rum, Jordan – Arrakis (Dune)
Inspiration For: The desert planet of spice and sandworms
- Frank Herbert’s Dune was more inspired by Middle Eastern culture than geography, but Wadi Rum’s surreal, Mars-like terrain has been used in Dune films, The Martian, and more.
- Its massive dunes and red sandstone cliffs feel truly alien.
🏔️ 8. The Scottish Highlands – Outlander & Highland Fantasy Settings
Inspiration For: Outlander, Celtic myths, and ancient fae tales
- Misty lochs, rugged mountains, ancient stone circles… The Highlands are the soul of Celtic fantasy.
- Also inspired parts of Brave, Merlin, and many Arthurian retellings.
🧱 9. Mont-Saint-Michel, France – Minas Tirith / Fantasy Fortresses
Inspiration For: Vertical fantasy cities and island sanctuaries
- This medieval abbey-island off the Normandy coast looks like it was built to keep dragons out.
- Rising dramatically from the sea, it’s been an influence for settings in Dark Souls, Elden Ring, and Tolkien’s Minas Tirith.
🌳 10. Yakushima Forest, Japan – Princess Mononoke’s Spirit Realm
Inspiration For: The mystical forest gods and spirit world
- This lush, ancient forest with moss-covered trees and swirling mist inspired Studio Ghibli’s iconic fantasy film.
- It’s a primeval place that feels like nature is watching you back—perfect for stories about balance between humans and spirits.
🧙♂️ Bonus: Real Legends Behind Fantasy
- The Matterhorn → Might’ve influenced Alpine settings in The Silmarillion
- Hadrian’s Wall → Said to have inspired GRRM’s Wall
- Real megaliths like Stonehenge or Carnac → Foundations for magical circles and portals
Want help mapping your own fantasy world onto real geography? Or want a list of lesser-known spots with serious magical vibes? Let’s get wanderlusty and weird. 🗺️✨