10 real places from famous books

Opening the book, already from the first pages you understand whether this world drags you in or not. Unlike cinema, a book is an opportunity to “think”, “finish” characters, architecture, atmosphere in your mind. There is always room for your own fantasies.

Reading a fascinating book, I really want to be transported to the world described in it, and, to some extent, it is possible to do this. The places where the action took place in some books actually exist.

10 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Arthur Conan Doyle

Doyle’s famous literary character, Sherlock Holmes and his friend Dr. Watson, lived in London at 221b Baker Street from 1881 to 1904, renting a house from Mrs. Hudson.

At that time, this address did not exist, but after the street was completed, it appeared. The drawer of that house was filled with letters from fans of the genius Sherlock Holmes!

At the moment, this place houses the Victorian-style Holmes Museum, which opened back in 1990 – it is the most popular among interested tourists, you can really see a lot of interesting things in it.

9. The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas

In his adventure novel, Dumas mentioned a castle located on the Fruille Islands. The mysterious castle exists in reality, and the writer was able to amazingly describe the architecture, the interior of the castle, terrible rituals and the tragic fate of the prisoners.

The reader can understand how important it was to escape from a terrible prison and what hardships a brave escapee would have to face. The fortress is located on an island in the Mediterranean Sea, not far from the Cote d’Azur. The castle was built in 1531 as a defensive front.

8. Harry Potter book series by JK Rowling

Platform 9¾ in London is where Harry first meets Ron Weasley. According to the fantasy story, the guys had to run up and smoothly enter the wall in order to go to Hogwarts, the school of wizardry and magic.

Built into the wall on the platform was a luggage cart, the one the wizards had with them in the book. It is half “disappeared” in the wall.

Harry Potter fans come to the platform to take photos and visit The Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9 ¾ to shop for souvenirs.

7. Hamlet, William Shakespeare

A castle in Denmark is mentioned in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet and is called Kronborg. The place of action in the play was clearly indicated – the royal castle of Kronborg in Elsinore in the north of the island of Zealand.

Elsinore is a very cozy, seaside town, it takes about 15 minutes to walk from the station to the castle. Along the way, you can admire the view of the castle from afar, the embankment, lovely old houses located on the narrow streets.

Inside the museum, every tourist will definitely find something they want to see. Moving holograms are especially impressive.

6. The Shining, Stephen King

Psychological horror Stephen King wrote at the Stanley Hotel, located in the US Estes Park. The writer lived in this hotel in room 217. It was living in it that inspired King to write The Shining.

This hotel provides visitors with luxurious cuisine, magnificent views of the surrounding area. Fishing, rock climbing, golfing or hiking are all within easy reach of The Stanley. In the writer’s novel, this hotel is called Overlook.

5. Robert Laegdon Book Series by Dan Brown

For many years, books about Professor Robert Laengdon have been hits – buying them, people are happy to spend their time reading an intellectual detective story.

The professor of art history at Harvard University is always on the move – he is in a hurry somewhere: either in the church, or to the tombs, unraveling the mysteries of the present, taking as a basis the unraveling of the legends of the past.

The London Temple Church is located on the site where the residence of the Templars was located. This church is mentioned in one of Brown’s books.

4. Domesday Book by Connie Willis

Southwark Gothic Cathedral (Protestant Church) is located in the UK, in the West End. It is open daily, and tourists can easily visit it from 8 am to 6 pm.

For more than a thousand years this place has been worshiped by Christians. This cathedral was listed in Willis’ Domesday Book, many famous personalities are buried in it, including Edmund Shakespeare, brother of William Shakespeare.

The stained-glass windows are based on the themes of Edmund’s works. John Fletcher, a playwright, also rests on the territory of this cathedral.

3. The Lord of the Rings, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

There are many forests described in The Lord of the Rings that amaze the reader’s imagination. The ancient forest has always attracted people with its mystery, beauty, myths and legends.

Puzzlewood is a forested park in Gloucestershire, UK – they call it the ancient forest, and the writer Tolkien sometimes walked through it …

It was Puzzlewood who inspired him to create Mirkwood, Fangorn and Lorien in his book. Interestingly, the writer Joan Rowling, who is originally from Gloucestershire, also liked to walk through this forest.

2. «Perfumer», Patrick Suskind

The Pont Changel is located in the center of Paris. He is mentioned in Zyuskin’s book Perfumer. From the pages of the novel, you can learn that the bridge was built up with 4-storey houses, there were shops on the ground floors, and more like a street.

In those days, the street was fashionable, here everyone put up interesting items for sale – jewelers, bag makers, and woodcarvers traded …

Also in the shops you could buy exquisite underwear – in general, the bridge was the place where everyone could find something to their liking. It was on this bridge that the house of the perfumer Baldini was located.

1. The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club by Charles Dickens

Dickens’ first brilliant novel that turned his name into a literary sensation. His novel was enthusiastically received by readers. At the Pickwick Club, people share their adventures, observations that give readers a good mood and make them laugh heartily.

In the London pub “The Spaniards Inn” Dickens sought inspiration for his novels. He mentions this pub in his work Posthumous Notes, by the way, other writers also liked to drop into this place. Everyone can visit this old pub, it has been operating since 1585.