London is filled with sceneries from Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts. An aimless ride around the city is already enough to leave fans nostalgic. POTTERISH put together a guide with the best magical destinies of this Muggle city:
Warner Bros. Studio Tour – Harry Potter
The studio where the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts movies were filmed is a mandatory stop for all Potterheads. Besides various scenarios, like the Great Hall and a model of the Hogwarts Castle which was used for aerial scenes, the fans can closely see multiple artifacts used on scene, like costumes and other props.
One of the most exciting moments of the visit is when entering the Ollivanders shop, that has wand boxes with names of people involved at the movies’ production, from Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry Potter, until the ones responsibles for cleaning the sets. The last room of the tour is a gigantic store with products of diverse value, so no one leaves empty-handed. There is also a snack bar, that sells all flavors of Butterbear, and a Honeydukes that offers all kinds of goodies from the movies.
How to get there: The tour is in Watford, about an hour from London. To get there, just take a train from Euston Station to Watford Junction Station, where you will find a bus that takes visitors to the studio.
Tipps: The ticket should be purchased in advance, because they sell out easily. If possible, choose one of the first visitation times, once inside the studio you can stay until it closes, later in the afternoon.
King’s Cross Station
Another mandatory stop for fans is the King’s Cross station, one of the biggest metro stations in London, where a replica of the Platform 9 ¾ was built and you will find a store with multiple thematic products. There you can pose for the famous picture crossing the platform.
Piccadilly Circus
One of the most famous attractions in London, the Piccadilly Circus appears in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – part I, when Harry, Ron, and Hermione ran off Fleur Delacour and Gui Weasley’s wedding, which was taking place at The Burrow. Is not rare to find fans dressed up and posing for pictures.
Palace Theatre
It is in this theatre of beautiful architecture that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is being played. The play is divided into two parts and, after watching each one, you can visit the store inside the theatre. But beware: the products change to remind you of what you just watched.
Tipp: just like in the Studio Tour, the tickets to the play must be purchased in advance. However, if you were not able to buy, all is not lost. Try your luck: some tickets are returned and resold at the last minute, so it is worth it stopping by the theater box office in the morning to see if there are any tickets available.
Millenium Bridge
The Millenium Bridge is the bridge destroyed by the death eaters in Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince.
Tower Bridge
In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry and the other members of the Order Of the Phoenix leave the Dursleys house, at Privet Drive, and fly in brooms thru the Thames River under the Tower Bridge, until reaching the organization’s headquarters at Grimmauld place.
Leadenhall Market
It is in this market, located downtown of London, that Harry and Hagrid go together, for the first time, to the Leaky Cauldron and the Diagonal Alley. Walking around this place makes every fan nostalgic and wanting to re-watch Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
London Zoo
In this zoo was filmed the scene where Harry talks to a snake for the first time, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The zoo is located at the Regent’s Park, in London.
House of MinaLima
Miraphora Mina and the Brazilian Eduardo Lima are the graphic designers that worked together in Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts. Together they created the Hogwarts letter, the Marauder’s Map, The Daily Prophet and another infinity of artifacts from the Wizarding world. Close to the Palace Theatre, from the Cursed Child‘s play, there is a thematic gallery where these arts are available for sale. Even if you do not intend to buy anything, is worth it to check out the place, because the ambient is pretty, nostalgic and you can make beautiful photos.
Australia House
The Australia House is the historical building where internal scenes of Gringotts, the Wizards’ bank, were filmed. Unfortunately, it is forbidden to visit the interior of the building, but it is worth to see the outside.
Great Scotland Yard
It is on this street that the scene of The Order of The Phoenix, where Arthur Weasley takes Harry thru a phone cabinet to a trial at the Ministry of Magic, was filmed. There is no phone cabinet on the street, but the scenario gives you beautiful pictures.
Claremont Square
The little houses of the Claremont Square served as an inspiration to the Grimmauld Place, where the Order of the Phoenix is located.
St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel
In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the external scene of King’s Cross was not filmed at the true entrance of the station, but at this hotel’s facade that was already shown in multiple Hollywood movies. The hotel has an architecture so pretty that attracts even who is not a Harry Potter fan.
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Translated into English by Paola Galiano
Edited by Aline Michel
