Do you love reading fictional books? If you do, have you ever imagined how it feels to step into the pages of your favorite books and find yourself in a fictional wonderland? Maybe you want to see the Platform 9 ¾ in Harry Potter series, The Overlook Hotel in The Shining, or West Egg in The Great Gatsby. Although most of the places in books are fictional, there are some of them that are inspired from real location in the world. And you can actually visit them!
If you need an alternative destination for your next holiday, maybe you can visit one of these places that inspired or even became the exact setting of popular books:
The Stanley Hotel, Estes Park Colorado – from The Shining by Stephen King
Let’s start from one of the most famous horror genre books, Stephen King’s The Shining. The Stanley Hotel inspired King to write the novel. In 1974, King and his wife Tabitha spent one night in Room 2017 while on vacation during their short residency in Boulder, Colorado. The Stanley Hotel then served as his model for the Overlook Hotel, the ominous setting of the novel. No, The Stanley Hotel is not haunted by little twin girls and the ghost of an old lady in the bathroom.
Address: 333 E Wonderview Ave, Estes Park, CO 80517, USA
Click here for more info.
Gion District Kyoto, from Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
Memoirs of a Geisha is a historical novel by American author Arthur Golden, published in 1997. The novel tells the fictional story of a geisha working in Kyoto, Japan, before and after World War II. Much of the novel is set in the popular geisha district of Gion in Kyoto. The district was built to accommodate the needs of travelers and visitors to the shrine, which is located in front of it. It eventually evolved to become one of the most exclusive and well-known geisha districts in all of Japan. The geishas perform annual public dances each year during the height of the sakura season (April 1 through April 30O, as well as in early November.
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Notre Dame Cathedral – from The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (French: Notre-Dame de Paris) is a French novel by Victor Hugo, published in 1831. The original French title refers to Notre Dame Cathedral, on which the story is centered. The cathedral is widely considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture, and is among the largest and most well-known church buildings in the world.
Address: 6 Parvis Notre-Dame, PI. Jean-Paul II, 75004 Paris, France
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Alnwick Castle – from Harry Potter by JK Rowling
Our favorite Harry Potter books are mostly set in Hogwarts, the fictional wizardly school where Harry Potter and friends learn magic. In the first two movies (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets), the Hogwarts set was filmed in Alnwick Castle in the English county of Northumberland. This castle is open to the public throughout the summer.
Address: Alnwick NE66 1NQ, United Kingdom
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Tiffany’s – from Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote
Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a timeless classic wherein Truman Capote takes his readers on the fun and almost childish adventures experienced by the one and only Holly Golightly. The term “breakfast at Tiffany’s” does not refer to having breakfast at Tiffany’s. It actually refers to Holly Golightly who is window shopping at Tiffany & Co. store while having breakfast. So you can grab your Danish, a cup of coffee, head on over to 5th Avenue and have breakfast at Tiffany’s.
Address: Tiffany’s. 727 5th Avenue, New York, USA
