What is the most Fairy Tale like place in your country?
May 19, 2025
I’ve seen Mont-Saint-Michel in France, what other places around the continent give that same Fairy Tale Like vibe?
23 comments
Kylemore Abbey in Co. Galway is architecturally beautiful and also just in the most beautiful landscape too, love it there
H C Andersen’s House in Odense.
Mic drop and end of thread.
Quite a few places, in my experience –
1. Bath. The architecture is so elegant, it feels surreal walking around sometimes. Especially on a sunny day, when the buildings turn golden.
2. Durham city. So many things about Durham feel like Cinderella. Whether it’s the icy blue evening sky, the cathedral, castle and historic bridges nestled in woodlands, or the River Wear shimmering in the sun like jewellery.
3. St Ives and Carbis Bay in Cornwall. Everything is so colourful and vivid, from the greenery to the flowers to the seawater. The architecture is unique. The quality of light is also otherworldly here— golden hours and sunsets are dreamy, soft and surreal. Big fairy tale vibe.
Hmm. Well, I’m not sure waht you mean by “most fairy tale” but:
We have castles, of those I would say Kasteel de Haar near Utrecht is the most fairy tale. On a smaller scale, there are several adorable buitens, stinsen, havezaten and borgen.
But also Venice (without tourists) is quite fairytalish. I was there in February this year, and walk around at sunrise was beautiful.
The deep, dense beech forest ravine around the two tall waterfalls at [Forsakar](https://visitorsguidetoscania.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/dsc02945.jpg) in eastern Scania. According to old folklore this ravine is said to be home of both the nixie, the huldra, trolls and pixies. The trees in that forest are so old that people are warned not to enter into the lower of part of the ravine, due to the high risk of the old trees falling over. You can however walk around the upper part of the ravine to see the waterfalls and it’s well worth a visit.
23 comments
Kylemore Abbey in Co. Galway is architecturally beautiful and also just in the most beautiful landscape too, love it there
H C Andersen’s House in Odense.
Mic drop and end of thread.
Quite a few places, in my experience –
1. Bath. The architecture is so elegant, it feels surreal walking around sometimes. Especially on a sunny day, when the buildings turn golden.
2. Durham city. So many things about Durham feel like Cinderella. Whether it’s the icy blue evening sky, the cathedral, castle and historic bridges nestled in woodlands, or the River Wear shimmering in the sun like jewellery.
3. St Ives and Carbis Bay in Cornwall. Everything is so colourful and vivid, from the greenery to the flowers to the seawater. The architecture is unique. The quality of light is also otherworldly here— golden hours and sunsets are dreamy, soft and surreal. Big fairy tale vibe.
Hmm. Well, I’m not sure waht you mean by “most fairy tale” but:
The [Alcázar of Segovia ](https://es.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alc%C3%A1zar_de_Segovia#/media/File%3APanor%C3%A1mica_Oto%C3%B1o_Alc%C3%A1zar_de_Segovia.jpg) was used as a blueprint for snow white’s castle. So it kind of is a fairy tale castle.
The Alhambra also has some serious fairy tale vibes I would say.
Schloss Neuschwanstein. Disney copied it. Can’t get more fairytale than that.
Langdale in the Lake District, Hardraw Force in Yorkshire, and Kynance Cove in Cornwall for natural locations.
For more man-made locations, The Shambles in York, Bibury in the Cotswolds, and Clovelly in Devon.
Quinta da Regaleira, Sintra, Portugal.
Palácio da Pena, also in Sintra, not a bad shout either.
Gruyères castle is very pretty: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gruy%C3%A8res#/media/File%3AGruy%C3%A8res_Castle_(Ch%C3%A2teau_de_Gruy%C3%A8res).jpg
Try the cheese.
For me that’s probably the Bolko Oak, a giant 650 year old tree.
I feel like a Hobbit when I stand under it.
For Italy I can name [Narni](https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narni#/media/File:Narnivicolo.JPGNarni), [Siena](https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siena#/media/File:Piazza_del_Campo_(Siena).jpg), some towns on the Garda lake [(Sirmione)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirmione#/media/File:Italy_-_Sirmione.jpg), [Vernazza](https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernazza#/media/File:Vernazza_and_the_sea,_Cinque_Terre,_Italy.jpgVernazza), [Amalfi](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Amalfi%2C_Italy_%2821078177390%29.jpg) . More niche, I would mention [Longone Sabino](https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longone_Sabino#/media/File:Porteingressocastello.jpg) (just because I know it, it is not a tourist spot). But there are tons of such towns
Edit: added links
We have castles, of those I would say Kasteel de Haar near Utrecht is the most fairy tale. On a smaller scale, there are several adorable buitens, stinsen, havezaten and borgen.
Netherlands:
[The Veluwezoom when the heather is in bloom](https://nijmegenactief.nl/veluwe/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/paarse-heide-herikhuizerveld-veluwezoom-klein.jpg)
[Spring blossom near Gorichem](https://images.bndestem.nl/ZTFmM2E2ODY2YWY4ZjkwZDE5YjIvZGlvLzI1NTc4MjEzMy9maWxsLzEyMDAvNjc1/een-perfecte-omlijsting-voor-molen-nooit-volmaakt-in-gorinchem)
[Lomanstraat, Amsterdam](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Fwhats-the-story-behind-these-x-trees-in-the-lomanstraat-v0-jt2mxziick2b1.jpg%3Fwidth%3D1080%26crop%3Dsmart%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3Da101cf5c9bb1ec75b3df0b4b4ec3b364ef36599f)
[Mushroom houses, ‘s-Hertogenbosch](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a6/Bolwoningen_sHertogenbosch.jpg/1280px-Bolwoningen_sHertogenbosch.jpg). [Another view](http://www.bubblemania.fr/wp-content/uploads/glob012.jpg)
[Hunebed D7, megalitic grave](https://www.vanmustotgras.nl/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Hunebed-D7.jpg)
[Kasteel de Haar, Haarzuilen](https://kastelenmagazine.nl/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Grote_Cour_Kasteel_de_Haar_juli2022.jpg)
[How about a palace with a king and queen and pretty princesses: Huis ten Bosch, ‘s-Gravenhage](https://img.startpagina.nl/w2048/h1152/d2048/2023/11/image-5.webp)
[A cornation is also a bit like a fairytale](https://koningsfan.nl/koninklijke-generatie-2013-1.jpg)
Castell Coch in Cardiff has a very fairytale castle vibe about it.
Olavinlinna Castle during the Opera Festival, when they play Mozart’s Zauberflöte
[Civita di Bagnoregio](https://www.eventidellatuscia.it/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/civita-di-bagnoregio.jpg)
But also Venice (without tourists) is quite fairytalish. I was there in February this year, and walk around at sunrise was beautiful.
The deep, dense beech forest ravine around the two tall waterfalls at [Forsakar](https://visitorsguidetoscania.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/dsc02945.jpg) in eastern Scania. According to old folklore this ravine is said to be home of both the nixie, the huldra, trolls and pixies. The trees in that forest are so old that people are warned not to enter into the lower of part of the ravine, due to the high risk of the old trees falling over. You can however walk around the upper part of the ravine to see the waterfalls and it’s well worth a visit.
I’m biased (local) but [Durham Cathedral from the river](https://www.britainexpress.com/images/attractions/editor/Durham-Cathedral-7028.jpg) is nice. Also nominating [Whitby Abbey](https://www.yorkshire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Whitby-Abbey-1.jpg), [Cotswolds villages and towns](https://media.cntraveller.com/photos/611bf044628f4910ed102524/16:9/w_2992,h_1683,c_limit/castle-combe-gettyimages-520275958.jpg), [King Alfred’s Tower](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/kf0fn2-king-alfreds-tower-known-888571504.jpg?strip=all&w=960), [Glastonbury Tor/Avalon](https://glastonburyinformationcentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/245017232_1882782871900655_5848057533714797157_n.jpg), [Stokesay Castle](https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/siteassets/home/visit/places-to-visit/stokesay-castle/history-and-stories/north-tower.jpg?w=640&mode=none&scale=downscale&quality=60&anchor=&WebsiteVersion=20200219).
The Ho Rainforest, The Cascade Range, Olympic Penninsula, PNW Coast.
The Quiraing on Skye. Most atmospheric in mist and rain.
[Bourtange](https://www.visitgroningen.nl/en/locations/bourtange) in our province of Groningen.
The Alcazar of Segovia is the obvious one, in fact it inspired Snow White’s castle.
Talking about natural landscapes, my vote would go for Coma de Vaca, a valley in the Catalan Pyrenees. It’s very Lothlorien-like.
Liselund. The whole place is made to inspire romanticist ideals and was where H.C. Andersen stayed while writing several of his fairy tales.
Also the view out over the cliffs from the highest point is unlike anything else in the country.
[Alberobello](https://discoveryouritaly.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/kirsten-velghe-mvpgrgr1Alc-unsplash-scaled.jpg) looks like the smurfs village, while the dying village of [Civita di Bagnoregio](https://www.casalecollinedolci.eu/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Civita-di-Bagnoregio-11.jpg) has inspired the Japanese director Miyazaki