Films about the underage wizard Harry Potter are replete with beautiful places, interesting scenery and picturesque landscapes. Some of them are the result of computer graphics, others are real-life places that are located in the UK.
Leavesden Studio
Most of the scenes in the Harry Potter films were filmed at a film studio called Leavesden. In its place in the past there was a large military airfield, and after the Second World War it was abandoned - by 2000, when they began to select a location for filming, only one hangar remained.
It is no coincidence that this room was chosen by the producers of films about the wizard: huge spaces and high ceilings made it possible to create excellent scenery for a medieval castle where young magicians studied.
In this studio, scenes were filmed in the Great Hall, where students dine at long tables. The candles hung over the tables were real - they were held on lines, which were then removed from the frames using computer graphics. In the same hangar there were the bedrooms of the main characters of the films, and the common living room of the Gryffindor faculty.
Today, the Leavesden studio houses a museum dedicated to the filming of the film, with the original scenery preserved, complemented by the real costumes and props used in the filming.
Other filming locations
But not all scenes were filmed in the former airfield, because in the Harry Potter films a lot of action takes place outside the castle. So, the Hogwarts Express train at the beginning of each film passes through the real-life Glenfinnan Viaduct, which is located in Scotland. The scenes of the film "Goblet of Fire", where Harry Potter had to pass difficult tests in the tournament, were also filmed in Scotland: where else can you find such amazing green landscapes. This place is called Glencoe, and this is where Quidditch matches, a magical sports game, were played.
One of the most beautiful cathedrals in Great Britain - Durham Cathedral, built in the style of Norman architecture, was chosen for filming the scenes at Hogwarts Castle. Its graceful galleries became the courtyards and corridors of the school of witchcraft and wizardry. The abbot's house not far from the cathedral has been transformed into Professor McGonagall's study and classroom.
The Hogwarts Library was filmed in Oxford, in the famous Bodleian Library. There is also a spiritual school, which has become the backdrop for the school hospital. One of the most famous filming locations for "Harry Potter" is located right in London - Leadenhall Market. It has turned into Diagon Alley, home to magic shops and a bank.
The Hogwarts Express train, according to the book, departs from King's Cross, so these scenes were filmed in a real train station. Between the ninth and tenth platforms, a trolley is embedded in the wall, and the inscription "Platform 9 ¾" hangs above it.
