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Where Hogwarts is located is of course a well-kept secret – after all, the wizarding school is supposed to remain hidden from non-magicians. However, there are a few clues and facts and we have summarised the most important ones here.
This is where Hogwarts is in the books
Exact coordinates would be nice, but unfortunately the location of the magical school is only vaguely given in the books. Some clues, however, are there:
- Hogwarts is in Great Britain, more precisely in Scotland. Supposedly, the Scottish town of Dufftown is located nearby.
- The train journey from London takes about nine hours: from departure at 11am until arrival, when it starts to get dark (sunset on 1 September at about 8pm).
- Other landmarks are the lake as well as the forbidden forest. Nearby is the village of Hogsmeade, where only witches and wizards live.
This is where Hogwarts is in the films
The film setting of the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is already a little easier to locate:
- The filming location for exterior scenes and some interior shots was Alnwick Castle, a medieval castle in Alnwick. The town is in the county of Northumberland on the east coast of England, north of Newcastle.
- The castle can be visited during the summer months. For Harry Potter fans, there is also “Broomstick Training” – flying lessons where you can learn to fly on a broomstick.
- However, Alnwick Castle is of course not identical with the school of magic. There is no Great Hall here, for example – that was built at Leavesden Film Studios and incorporated into the Harry Potter Museum after filming.
- In addition, some interior shots were taken at other locations: For example, the University of Oxford came in for more shots in the Great Hall and Library.
- Gloucester Cathedral in the southwest of England, Durham Cathedral in the northeast and Lacock Abbey east of Bath were also used for interior shots.
