Colleges That Look Like Hogwarts In Europe
Colleges That Look Like Hogwarts In Europe
The magical world of Harry Potter has enchanted millions of readers around the world. The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is a fictional place that we’ll likely never visit in real life. However, there are plenty of colleges and universities out there that look just like the fictional school!
Kings College, University of Cambridge
Kings College, University of Cambridge
For many people, Kings College is the quintessential “Harry Potter” school. The university was founded in 1441 by Henry VI as a scholastic community to train clergymen for the Church of England. It’s one of the oldest and most prestigious colleges in the UK—so you can imagine that it looks like Hogwarts on a cold winter day (or any day).
Kings’ beautiful architecture features Gothic towers and stained glass windows, which give it that magical feeling we all know so well from Harry Potter films. Even better? It also has a royal charter!
Bisham Abbey
Bisham Abbey is a 15th-century manor house in the civil parish of Bisham, in the English county of Berkshire. It is best known for its association with the Rothschild family and has been used as a filming location in several films including Harry Potter and James Bond.
The name Bisham means ‘place in open country’. It is believed that there was previously a Saxon settlement here by this name, but it was wiped out by a Viking invasion.
Bisham Abbey was built by Sir Walter Mildmay as his new home after he acquired the manor from Lord Cobham in 1499; construction began around 1498 and continued until about 1518 when Mildmay died without an heir to inherit it from him.
Aula Magna, University of Lisbon
The Aula Magna, the largest lecture hall in Portugal, was built in 1882 by architect Francisco da Mata. It is located at the University of Lisbon and has been used for graduation ceremonies since then. In addition to this purpose, it also hosts concerts.
Hohenzollern Castle
Hohenzollern Castle is a ruined castle in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is located on top of Mount Hohenzollern, a volcanic hill overlooking the town of Hechingen and the village of Hohenzollern.
The castle was built in the 10th century as part of fortifications erected at strategic locations during Charlemagne’s Saxon Wars. The first written record of this castle was in 1067 when one Count Conrad took possession after some minor struggles with its previous owner. In 1423, Frederick I became Count Frederick VII and moved his family into what is now the oldest inhabited castle in Europe still standing for 700 years or more!
Pontifical Catholic University, Santiago de Compostela
It’s no wonder that this university is often compared to Hogwarts. The Pontifical Catholic University of Santiago de Compostela is a university in the city of Santiago de Compostela, Spain. It has two campuses: the historical one built in 1551 and located in Parque de María Pita; and another one built in 1968 on the outskirts of town.
The Aula Magna (Great Hall) at this university was built as part of its main building—Parque de María Pita—and it’s definitely worthy of comparison with Hogwarts Castle. With its high ceilings and ancient architecture, this indoor space looks like something out of Harry Potter’s world!
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College is the oldest university in Ireland and one of the oldest in the world.
The college was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I, who also established Trinity as an institution to be run by the Church of Ireland. It became affiliated with the University of Dublin in 1854 and has remained a constituent college ever since.
Today, Trinity is home to about 2,100 students from all over Europe and over 50 different countries around the world (including some Americans). The university’s campus was designed by Sir Christopher Wren following his work on St Paul’s Cathedral in London.
St. John’s College, Oxford
St. John’s College, Oxford
St. John’s is one of the oldest colleges in Oxford and was founded by Lady Margaret Beaufort in 1555. The college is best known for its beautiful Tudor-style Great Quad, which was designed by Thomas Nevile (a fellow member of the college) and completed in 1509.
Scottish Parliament Building, Edinburgh
The Scottish Parliament Building is a must-see attraction in Edinburgh. This modern masterpiece was designed by Spanish architect Enric Miralles, and it’s considered one of the world’s most beautiful buildings. The Scottish Parliament Building opened in 2004, but it has already become a tourist attraction.
The building is open to the public, so you can visit anytime between 8:30am and 4pm (except on Christmas Day). If you’re lucky enough to be visiting during business hours on weekdays, there will be tours available as well as an exhibition about how Scotland became an independent country again after 300 years of being ruled by England.
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a castle in Edinburgh, Scotland, located on the Castle Rock, overlooking the city centre. It has been continuously in use for 1000 years and is in the care of Historic Environment Scotland.
Edinburgh Castle is one of the most important Scottish royal castles, and is the largest of all the royal residences in Scotland. The castle sits at a natural promontory near to where Royal Mile meets Princes Street and stands within sight of Edinburgh’s Old Town across the valley below (the view from within its walls should not be underestimated). It was one of four major castles held by Edward I to subdue Scotland during his campaign against Robert Bruce – now commonly known as “The War Of Independence”. Today it remains a popular visitor attraction with around 1 million visitors per year.
Hogwarts is fictional, but there are plenty of magical-looking real-life castles and colleges.
Hogwarts is a fictional school in the Harry Potter book series and movies. With its turrets and towers, Hogwarts looks like a castle straight out of a fairy tale. But there are plenty of real-life colleges that look just as magical.
The following European colleges are all located in castles:
- University of Salamanca (Salamanca, Spain)
- Santiago de Compostela University (Santiago de Compostela, Galicia)
- Universidade Nova de Lisboa (Lisbon)
We hope that you’ve found this list of Hogwarts-like colleges around the world useful and enjoyed reading about them. If you ever find yourself in these areas, be sure to stop by one of these places for some magical inspiration!