Not only are Disney castles beautiful, but they often are essential to the story. But have you ever thought about the artists and even Walt Disney got their ideas? The castles in your favorite Disney movies are based on real castles, palaces, and even a well-known hotel. You can still visit the buildings and structures, which is good news.
Real castles from Disney movies
1. Alcázar de Segovia, Spain from ‘Snow White’
Alcázar de Segovia, Spain, whose name means “Segovia Fortress,” is said to have been the model for Snow White’s castle in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. On the other hand, the castle is used for very different things than the fictional building.
In the 1937 movie, her evil aunt, the Evil Queen, lived in Alcázar. But since it was built in the 12th century, it has been used for many different things.
However, the Queen pretty much locked up Snow White until she tried to kill her raven-haired granddaughter, so maybe the two places aren’t that different.
2. Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria from ‘Sleeping Beauty’
The house of King Stefan in Sleeping Beauty was based on Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, which King Ludwig II of Bavaria built. But like with Snow White’s house, Disney added a few things to make it feel more magical.
It says that many of the palace’s features show that it was built at different times: Along with Gothic pointed aches, there are towers from the Renaissance, the Gothic period, and Scandinavia. The accuracy of King Stefan’s castle in terms of the period is not great, but it did serve as a model for other Disney buildings. The Disney logo was based on the castle.
3. Craigievar Castle, Aberdeenshire, Scotland from ‘Cinderella’
It says Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Germany, inspired Disney’s famous building in his 1950 classic Cinderella. However, the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) believes Craigievar Castle is the inspiration.
“Discover the beautiful pink castle said to have been the inspiration for Walt Disney’s Cinderella Castle,” the official NTS website says as the first bullet point in a list of things to do in Aberdeenshire, about two and a half hours north of Edinburgh.
Disney had to make sure the rumors that Craigievar, not Neuschwanstein, were true, but he had not heard anything from them. It is a millennial pink fairy tale dream.
4. Mont Saint-Michel, Normandy, France from ‘Tangled’
Cohen says Corona Castle in Tangled is “a great example of putting a structure into the story.” Off-Monet-Saint-Michel, where Disney’s movie is set, was once a Benedictine abbey on a small island off the coast of Normandy, France. In the end, the church turned into a jail.
In real life, you can only get to Mont-Saint-Michel twice a day when the tide is low. These two details show two important parts of the princess’s story:
- The prison stands for Rapunzel’s early life spent in a tower.
- Tides were coming in and out, reflecting her hair, which was the only way she could communicate with the outside world.
5. Chillon Castle, Switzerland from ‘The Little Mermaid’
The French name for Chillon Castle is Chateau de Chillon. It is over 1,000 years old, and its roots go back to Roman times. With all that history, it’s no surprise that the castle is Switzerland’s most popular historic place.
The castle is about two miles from Montreux. It is at a harbor at the end of Lake Geneva in Switzerland. Chillon Castle was in a place that protected it naturally and gave it strategic control over the waterway that went from the north to the south of Europe.
For Disney fans with sharp eyes, Prince Eric’s house in The Little Mermaid was based on Chateau de Chillon.
6. Dunnottar Castle, Scotland from ‘Brave’
As is common for castles, Dunnottar Castle was built in a good place for defense. Some rocks on three sides of the castle are almost 165 feet high and are rocked by waves. Also, the only way to get to Dunnotar is to go down a 200-step walk that ends in a tunnel!
For some reason, the people working on Brave first thought Merida’s DunBroch family house would be in the Highlands, next to a loch. But after seeing Dunnottar Castle, they built DunBroch to look like it and use it as a seaside outpost.
7. Borgund Stave Church and Akershus Fortress from ‘Frozen’
Since Frozen was based on a Scandinavian story, it’s unsurprising that the house in Arendelle, the movie’s made-up country, looks like one in Scandinavia. The house has many roofs, and the bell tower has a spire on top of it. The walls around the castle are based on Akershus Fort, which was once a defensive stronghold close to Oslo.
On the other hand, the actual house was based on something completely different. The animated castle is made of wood, as shown by the wooden beams that hold up the outside. Cohen says this detail doesn’t look like a castle; instead, it looks like a Norwegian stave church.
Cohen says: “They do that because churches were often the most interesting buildings in the Middle Ages.” He points out that the animation looks like a Borgund stave church.
Explore the world of Disney Princesses!
Looking into the real-life castles that Disney based his designs on shows an interesting world of different architectural styles and cultures. The rich history and intricate details that go into making these beautiful buildings make enthusiasts, fans, and aspiring artists want to learn more.
This study helps you understand how Disney developed these ideas and makes you more aware of how beautiful and important architectural influences shape your imaginations and cultural stories.
