20 Magical Disney Movie Locations You Can Visit In Real Life
Oh sure, you can visit the Disney theme parks if you want a little bit of pixie dust in your life. They’re meticulously created and very popular. But maybe you want something a bit different – a location a little more… real? Well in that case, why not feast your eyes on these beautiful real-life places that all inspired Disney films?
20. Beauty and the Beast: Eguisheim, Alsace, France
Belle may not have enjoyed life in her rural backwater, but she was probably the only one. The real-life inspiration, France’s Alsace region, is so beautiful not even the presence of a Gaston could ruin it. Eguisheim, the village which bears perhaps the most resemblance to Belle’s, even has its own stone fountain in the town square.
Eguisheim is very small and also not particularly tourist-focused, so if it’s unspoilt charm you want, then you should totally drop by if you ever get the chance to visit France. It even has its own castle, Eguisheim Castle, just to really drive home that this is Beauty and the Beast-land. Just don’t forget to bring books with you to read by the fountain!
19. The Little Mermaid: The Château de Chillon, Switzerland
The Château de Chillon, which sits on Lake Geneva, is one of the most famous castles in all of Switzerland. It’s incredibly old – first mentioned in historical texts as far back as 1005 – and it has a rich history. Lord Byron visited it in 1816 and his name is carved on a pillar in its dungeon. And it helped inspire Prince Eric’s castle in The Little Mermaid.
The similarities are pretty clear, not least the presence of so much water around both the real castle and its animated counterpart. And indeed Little Mermaid fans sometimes show up there in full Ariel cosplay and take photos with the Château de Chillon as their backdrop. No reports of any talking crabs yet though.
