10 European Destinations That Feel Like They Belong in a Fantasy Novel

Have you ever been reading a fantasy novel and thought, I don't necessarily need to live in this world…but I would REALLY like to vacation there?

Same.

Give me castles, cobblestone streets, dramatic mountains, tiny villages, ridiculously beautiful libraries and places where it feels at least somewhat plausible that a dragon could fly overhead.

It's actually one of the ideas behind Enchanted Escapes, a type of travel I've become increasingly excited about planning. Instead of trying to literally recreate a fictional world, I love the idea of figuring out what you loved about that world—the atmosphere, scenery, architecture, adventure or romance—and finding real places that give you that same feeling.

And Europe has no shortage of them.

Some feel dark and moody. Others are colorful and whimsical. Some look like the setting for a cozy fantasy novel, while others make me feel like we should probably be preparing for an epic quest.

So, if I were building the ultimate fantasy-inspired Europe travel list, these ten destinations would absolutely be on it.

1. Edinburgh and the Scottish Highlands, Scotland

The fantasy vibe: Moody castles, ancient streets and epic landscapes

Scotland was always going to be on this list.

Edinburgh gives us stone buildings, medieval closes, the Royal Mile and a castle looming over the city. It's atmospheric and a little moody—which, in my opinion, is exactly what we want here.

But I wouldn't stop in Edinburgh.

Head into the Scottish Highlands and suddenly the city gives way to mountains, lochs, castles and huge stretches of dramatic countryside. This is the kind of place where the journey between destinations is part of the experience.

For an Enchanted Escape, I'd want both.

Spend time wandering Edinburgh's Old Town, then leave the city behind for the Highlands. Stay somewhere with character. Visit castles. Drive through landscapes that make you want to stare out the window inst

ead of at your phone.

Go here if your fantasy novel needs: castles, moody weather, ancient streets and a sprawling kingdom beyond the city walls.

2. The Cotswolds, England

The fantasy vibe: Charming, cozy and just a little whimsical

Not every fantasy story needs an impending war.

Sometimes I just want the little village where everyone knows everyone, there's a cozy inn down the street and nothing terribly catastrophic has happened…yet.

Enter the Cotswolds.

The region is known for its rolling countryside and villages built from warm, honey-colored stone. Add old inns, gardens, cottages and country houses, and the whole thing feels like the quieter corner of a fantasy world where I'd happily spend a few chapters.

This is less dragons-and-battles fantasy and more cozy fairytale destination.

I'd slow down here instead of treating the Cotswolds like a checklist. Wander through villages. Stop for lunch at a pub. Stay somewhere charming. Leave enough room in the itinerary to see something pretty and decide to investigate.

Go here if your fantasy novel needs: cottages, rolling hills, village pubs, gardens and a cozy side quest.

3. Hallstatt, the Salzkammergut and Admont Abbey, Austria

The fantasy vibe: Dramatic Alpine scenery with a library worthy of its own kingdom

Austria may be one of my favorite possibilities for an Enchanted Escape because we can combine two things I desperately want from a fantasy vacation: spectacular scenery and books.

Hallstatt and Austria's Salzkammergut region bring the mountains, lakes and Alpine villages.

And then I want to make a detour. Because we need to talk about Admont Abbey Library.

The late-Baroque library hall at Admont Abbey is the largest monastery library hall in the world. It's approximately 230 feet long, filled with white and gold bookcases, ceiling frescoes, sculptures and tens of thousands of books.

LOOK. AT. THE. PICTURES.

Tell me you wouldn't expect to find some ancient text containing a prophecy tucked away on one of those shelves.

This is exactly what I mean when I talk about Enchanted Escapes. I don't just want to see Austria. I want to combine the places that create a whole feeling.

Go here if your fantasy novel needs: Alpine kingdoms, dramatic lakes, mountain villages and a breathtaking library where someone should definitely be researching an ancient curse.

4. The Swiss Alps: Lauterbrunnen and Zermatt

The fantasy vibe: Mountains, waterfalls and major Velaris energy

If we're looking for dramatic fantasy scenery, Switzerland almost feels unfair.

Lauterbrunnen Valley is surrounded by enormous cliffs and mountains with waterfalls dropping into the valley. Villages sit among all of it, with trains and cable cars carrying travelers farther into the Alps.

Then there's Zermatt.

Zermatt sits beneath the Matterhorn and has exactly the kind of mountain setting that makes my romantasy-reading brain immediately start making connections.

My first thought? Velaris vibes.

No, Zermatt isn't actually Velaris, nor am I saying it inspired any particular fictional city. It's the feeling: tucked into the mountains, incredibly scenic, cozy but dramatic, and surrounded by peaks that make everything feel a little removed from the rest of the world.

Combine Zermatt with Lauterbrunnen and you've basically created your own Swiss mountain kingdom.

Go here if your fantasy novel needs: towering mountains, waterfalls, trains winding through the Alps and a secluded mountain city that gives your romantasy-loving heart a little flutter.

5. Colmar and Alsace, France

The fantasy vibe: Colorful, whimsical village life

There are places where I look at photos and immediately start thinking about logistics. And then there are places where I look at photos and apparently turn into Belle.

Colmar is the latter.

I can already picture myself wandering around singing: Little town, quiet village… Bonjour! Bonjour! THERE GOES THE BAKER.

Colmar has colorful half-timbered houses, canals, flower boxes and cobblestone lanes, and the surrounding Alsace region gives us even more villages to explore.

This isn't our dark, moody fantasy destination. It's bright. It's whimsical. It's the village at the beginning of the story before our main character gets dragged into whatever adventure is about to ruin her perfectly nice morning.

And I mean that as the highest compliment.

Go here if your fantasy novel needs: colorful houses, cobblestone lanes, flowers, little shops and a baker who probably knows everyone's business.

6. Sintra, Portugal

The fantasy vibe: Castles…but brighter

Apparently that's my official description of Sintra: castles, but brighter.

And honestly, it works.

Sintra gives us the fantasy architecture we want without the gray stone and moody skies of some of the other destinations on this list.

Pena Palace crowns the hills in bold yellows and reds, surrounded by lush greenery and winding paths. Nearby, the walls of the Moorish Castle stretch across the hills, giving us a completely different version of the castle experience.

Sintra feels romantic, colorful and a little eccentric—as if somebody was told to build a fantasy kingdom and nobody gave them a neutral color palette.

I approve.

Go here if your fantasy novel needs: colorful palaces, castle walls, lush forests, secret pathways and considerably more sunshine.

7. Transylvania, Romania

The fantasy vibe: Vampires. Obviously.

We can't make a fantasy-inspired Europe list and leave out Transylvania.

I actually think this one gets overlooked because people hear “Transylvania” and immediately jump straight to Dracula. And yes… vampires. Obviously.

But there's more here than the fictional connection.

Transylvania gives us medieval towns, castles, fortified settlements, mountains and centuries of history. It's the combination of real architecture and landscapes with the legends that have grown around the region that makes it so interesting for this kind of trip.

And if you're someone who prefers your fantasy a little darker, I think this could make an AMAZING Enchanted Escape.

I wouldn't want to make it cheesy or turn the entire vacation into vampire tourism. I'd want the gothic atmosphere and Dracula connections mixed with the real history, local culture, medieval towns and countryside.

Basically: embrace the vampires, but don't let them plan the whole itinerary.

Go here if your fantasy novel needs: gothic castles, medieval towns, forests, folklore and something that may or may not be lurking in the shadows.

8. Kotor, Montenegro

The fantasy vibe: Medieval streets surrounded by mountains

Kotor immediately caught my attention because it gives us two things I love together: a medieval town and dramatic scenery.

The fortified Old Town sits on the Bay of Kotor, with stone walls that climb from the water and zigzag dramatically up the mountainside toward the fortress above.

Inside the walls, you get narrow streets, old stone buildings, little squares and plenty of cobblestones.

It feels like the kind of fortified city our main characters would finally reach after traveling through the mountains for three chapters.

Except we're arriving with luggage and probably stopping for lunch. Much better.

Go here if your fantasy novel needs: fortified walls, cobblestone streets, mountains, water and an ancient city at the end of the journey.

9. Tallinn, Estonia

The fantasy vibe: Medieval town…but brighter. LOL

Yes, apparently I have categories now. Sintra is castles, but brighter. Tallinn is medieval town, but brighter.

Tallinn's Old Town is one of Europe's best-preserved medieval old towns, with a street network and buildings largely dating from the 13th through 16th centuries. Sections of its medieval walls still stand, along with towers and gates you can actually explore.

But unlike the dark, brooding medieval city you might be imagining, Tallinn also has colorful buildings and red rooftops that give the whole place a more whimsical feeling.

You still get towers. You still get cobblestones. You still get centuries-old buildings. Just…cheerier.

Go here if your fantasy novel needs: city walls, towers, colorful medieval buildings, winding streets and significantly less brooding.

10. Gudvangen, Norway

The fantasy vibe: Vikings, How to Train Your Dragon and ridiculously dramatic landscapes

Okay. This one is FUN.

Gudvangen sits among the enormous mountains and fjord scenery of western Norway. It's also home to Njardarheimr, a Viking village where visitors can learn about Viking Age history, culture, crafts and daily life.

So obviously my brain goes: Vikings. Fjords. Mountains. How to Train Your Dragon.

Now, to be clear, there are no actual dragons included with your admission. Disappointing, I know.

But this is another destination where the surrounding landscape matters just as much as the attraction itself. Gudvangen sits along the UNESCO-listed Nærøyfjord, so you're experiencing Viking history in a setting of steep mountains and narrow fjords that already feels appropriately epic.

I'd want to build this into a larger Norway itinerary rather than just visit the Viking village and leave. Give me the fjords, scenic transportation, tiny communities and those dramatic landscapes.

Go here if your fantasy novel needs: Vikings, fjords, mountains, living history and a dragon that is unfortunately going to have to be imaginary.

Which Fantasy-Inspired European Destination Fits Your Story?

That's the question I find much more interesting than simply asking, “Where do you want to go?”

Maybe you don't know yet. Maybe you just know you want castles and mountains. Or a colorful village with cobblestone streets. Or somewhere dark and gothic.

Maybe you've been reading a fantasy series and can't stop thinking about the setting.

Tell me that.

Tell me what the world in your head looks like. Tell me what you loved about your favorite book—the atmosphere, landscapes, adventure, cozy village, dramatic castle or secluded mountain city.

We can work backward from there.

That's the idea behind Enchanted Escapes: not recreating someone else's fictional world, but finding real places that give you a little bit of that same feeling.

Because unfortunately I cannot book you a flight to Velaris.

But Switzerland? That I can work with.

Ready to Plan Your Own Enchanted Escape?

Ready to find your real-life fantasy world? Reach out to Alyssa Schoenrock at Good Trip Travel Co. and tell me what kind of story you want to step into.

Submit your trip inquiry here: https://www.goodtrip.biz/alyssa