11 fictional places to visit

Very often, the authors of the greatest films, games, comics and books used the most beautiful landscapes of our amazing planet to create fictional places in their works. We have found for you the most interesting corners on earth, which served as prototypes of fictional places in the best works of modern culture. See 11 fictional places to visit.

Kauai in Hawaii (USA). (Photo: Matthias Maderthaner / flickr.com )

Mountains and ocean, rainforests, waterfalls and phenomenal landscapes. Kauai is the oldest geological island in Hawaii. It attracts tourists with its beauty and natural resources. And surfing enthusiasts here can realize their dreams of waves as high as the sky. Therefore, it is not surprising that the fabulous landscapes of the island of Kauai were used in such films as "Avatar" (this is where Pandora was located) and "Jurassic Park".

Oahu, Hawaii. (Photo: Kelley Porter / flickr.com )

Another Hawaiian island - Oahu - became the filming location of one of the most popular TV series of the last decade — Lost, or "Stay Alive".

Tongariro in New Zealand. (Photo: Jack Pal / flickr.com )

The prototype of Mordor - Tolkien's "black country" and the Fatal Mountain - the main purpose of the journey of the heroes of The Hobbit was the Tongariro National Park, located on the North Island of New Zealand. It is the fourth oldest park in the world. Tolkien was definitely inspired by the beautiful active volcanoes here - Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngauruho.

The village of Matamata in New Zealand. (Photo: Steve/flickr.com)

The Shire - the country from The Lord of the Rings - was also created based on the landscapes of New Zealand. The village of Matamata, also called Hobbiton, was built here specifically for the filming of the film and has become a frequently visited local tourist attraction.

Naeroyfjord, Norway. (Photo: Sylvi/flickr.com)

The delightful Naeroyfjord is not only one of the most beautiful places in Norway, but also the holder of the title of "the narrowest fjord in the world". At its narrowest point, its width is only 250 meters, and at its widest — more than a kilometer. 25 beautiful waterfalls flow into Naeroyfjord, which are best admired while on the Royal Mail Route. The unique beauty of these places served as a prototype of the fabulous town of Arendell in the animated film Frozen ("Cold Heart").

New York, USA. (Photo: Steven Kelley / flickr.com )

New York is a city of comic book heroes. Frank Miller, the creator of the legendary Batman, described Gotham City as "New York at night." And the prototype of Metropolis, a fictional city in which another comic book hero, Superman, lived, was daytime New York. Moreover, Francis Scott Fitzgerald, who wrote the novel "The Great Gatsby", settled his characters in a place, the prototype of which was one of the districts of New York. West Egg and East Egg, the areas where the main characters of the book live, were created in the image and likeness of the part of Long Island where the writer lived, that is, Great Neck.

Fort St. Elmo, Malta. (Photo: Tony Murtagh / flickr.com )

Malta is a real Mecca for filmmakers. The most popular historical films and TV series were filmed here. Filming was most often carried out at Fort St. Elmo, located on the Sceberras Peninsula. It was here that such famous films as "Midnight Express", "Pirate Islands", "The Count of Monte Cristo" or "Battle of the Titans" were shot, as well as scenes for the game "Age of Empires III".

Fort Ricasoli in Malta. (Photo: anittec/flickr.com)

This fort became the famous ancient settlement of Troy in the film of the same name starring Brad Pitt. There was also a Roman Colosseum from the equally popular movie "Gladiator".

Glencoe, Scotland. (Photo: Mathew Roberts / flickr.com )

Glencoe - The Valley of Tears is one of the most unique places that is inextricably linked with the history of Scotland. It is located in the western part of the country, and it was here that in the XVII century there was a struggle between the McDonald's and Campbell clans. The 16-kilometer split between the mountains, dotted with peat bogs and lakes, is one of the most picturesque places on our continent. Such films as "Harry Potter", "Braveheart" and "Rob Roy" were shot here.

Ajt Bin Haddu in Morocco. (Photo: klompenindia/flickr.com)

Ajt Bin Haddu is a fortress 30 kilometers from the Moroccan city of Ouarzazate, where the Atlas Studio film studio is located. The fort of the XVI century is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most frequently used places for filming films. There was Jerusalem from The Kingdom of Heaven, Zucchabar from Gladiator, Pentos from Game of Thrones. There were also filming of "Jesus of Nazareth", "Alexander", "The Pearl of the Nile" and "Prince of Persia".

Ashdown Forest, England. (Photo: Jon Creese - Photography/flickr.com)

Located in East Sussex, less than 50 kilometers south of London, Ashdown Forest inspired Alan Alexander Milne to create a "Wonderful Forest" from a series of books about Winnie the Pooh. This forest has preserved its pristine beauty to this day. There are many different themed paths in Ashdown Forest, one of which leads in the footsteps of little Christopher Robin and his friends, familiar to us from the pages of books about Winnie the Pooh.