10 Amazing Real-World Locations for Fantasy Worldbuilding

When you ’re craft the setting of your fancy opus , it ’s tempting to stratum on impossibilities like islands floating in the sky and huge arboreal extremely low frequency urban center . It turns out the world we live in is full of antic scene and flakey natural formations aplenty . Want to ground your illusion world in reality ? Check out these ten literal - earth fantastic place .

Phi Phi Islands , Thailand .

Most of these island are little more than rocky spires jut out of the sea ( photo , above ) , but with the bright blue - green body of water and dense tropic botany , they ’re a perfect example of an alien tropical locus . It ’s promiscuous to imagine them riddled with hidden cave sate with strange brute , or hiding temple complexes dwell by flakey cults devoted to the glories of their alien ocean god .

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Nyiragongo Crater , Congo .

Mount Nyiragongo is a steep - sided volcano in the Democratic Republic of the Congo . Within the crater is a lava lake always boil and churning , fill the night sky with an eerie red glow . As the only steep - sided volcano is the humans with such a lava lake , Nyiragongo volcanic crater is literally unique . It claim a abrasive toll on the hamlet and cities nearby , both from the eruptions of lava and poisonous accelerator pedal and other deadly forms of seismic activity . It would make a nice home for a red tartar , a ogre , or an entire host of angry fire elementals .

Berry Head Arch , Newfoundland .

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There are unusual , more outstanding position in the world , but this natural rock arch in Newfoundland has that sure Game of Thrones ruggedness about it . It is pretty impressive to see a rock arch so large that a grove of trees has grown atop it . utilise it as a landmark location in your fantasy reality . well yet , set a major fight scenery on top of it . Wizard vs. demon ? Starks vs. Lannisters ?

Pamukkale , Turkey .

Water flows from hot springs and deposition Ca carbonate in declamatory terrace . The calcium carbonate gives Pamukkale it ’s striking white coming into court , and on clear days the reflection of the sky make the water look a stunning bluing . As a result , it search like an enchanted ice castle , even though the temperature is quite comfortable . fillip : the necropolis at Hierapolis is not far away . If you ca n’t guess of a safe use for a monolithic land site filled with ancient tomb and sarcophagi , why are you write fantasy ?

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Tanah Lot , Bali .

Pura Tanah Lot is a temple settle on a rock formation jutting from the island of Bali . It ’s a physically impressive location – in silhouette , it look like a magic ship from sure angles . An isolated temple only accessible via a narrow-minded spitting of rock would be a nice space for a pilgrimage , but the caption about Tanah Lot make it even more interesting . It was supposedly designate a holy situation by a 15th century Hindu priest , and is say to be guarded by a giant snake created from the non-Christian priest ’s scarf .

Tianzi Mountains , China .

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These mountains have been carved into predominate steeple hundreds of meters high , dappled with riotous flora . The surrounding land is covered with thick , primeval woodland . The Tianzi Mountains do n’t seem to be material – you could put a photo of them on a fantasy novel cover and no one would lick an eye . What could you put here ? An ancient temple ? A thaumaturge ’s pillar ? The lair of a long - leave beast ? The resting home of a sleeping god ?

Hamilton Pool , Texas .

If an order of druids proceed on a vengeance spree against civilisation when their hallowed grove is despoiled , it well be a damn o.k. orchard , right ? prove this place , a gorgeous lifelike kitty fill up with lambent green water , cap by a limestone overhang covered with lush fern and mosses . Not enough ? How about a 50 - foot falls ? That ’s almost nice enough to make you side with the druids .

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Las Cañadas , Tenerife .

The Las Cañadas caldera is a serial publication of volcano and collapsed volcano , create a terrifying volcanic wasteland . The desolate , jolty terra firma is hot and scar with fumaroles regurgitate noxious gun . The terrain is jag , with sharp jolting outcrops creating unusual build . It ’s basically Mordor right here on Earth .

Vatican City , Italy .

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This is the only urban locating on this list , because it is genuinely odd . Vatican City is a wall off section of Rome that is a separate nation , inhabited by and rule over by the heads of the Catholic Church . There are so many fantasy concepts there I do n’t even sleep with where to set forth . It ’s a city within a urban center , that is also its own nation . It ’s an entire city devoted to a individual religion , and build totally around the glorification of that religion . The symmetrical layout of St. Peter ’s Square , the churrigueresco architecture , the beautiful Vatican gardens – all visually stunning and redolent of antiquity . Your phantasy metropolis could do tough .

Machu Picchu , Peru .

There are a pile of interesting ruins in the world that could inspire fantasy adventures , but something about Machu Picchu is iconic ( it was a toss - up between this and Angkor ) . Located high in the Peruvian great deal , these ruin are about 600 old age old . Partly overgrown , wear thin down by harsh lot farting , you may imagine that there might be hidden entrances and secret chambers beneath these temple and palace . A search of the ruined outbuildings might reveal a magical scroll , or a long - lost enchanted steel . Of of course , a hideous hybrid beast may well be guarding it when your grinder get there .

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