The European castle where hit TV show was filmed – and it’s only one hour from the UK
A PRETTY French castle that featured in a hit TV show has become so popular tourists are flocking there to visit.
For decades, holidaymakers have been visiting parts of Europe to glimpse the real-life locations that brought their favorite films and TV shows to life.
Destinations like Paris, Bordeaux, and Provence are well-known filming locations in France.
But Chateau de Pierrefonds, a medieval castle in the Hauts-de-France region of the country, rose to fame as one of the filming locations for the hit BBC show Merlin that starred Colin Morgan, Bradley James and Anthony Head.
The award-wining show is all about Merlin, a young warlock, who uses his mystical powers to help Price Arthur defend Camelot against evil foes.
Because of the show’s success and fan following, travellers have been heading to the French castle.
TikTok user Kendra, who is known as the.grumpydragon on the social media platform, recently visited the castle during her trip to France.
A caption over the video read: “You’re obsessed with Merlin and visit Chateau de Pierrefonds.”
The footage showed her walking across a cobbled courtyard where she glimpsed the castle and fell to her knees in shock.
The short clip has had more than 600,000 views with many users itching to visit.
One person wrote: “I want to go so bad.”
Another added: “This is in my top ten destinations that I need to visit.”
The castle has also been ranked 4.5./5 stars from 1,900 reviews on TripAdvisor.
One person wrote: ” We went to this chateau as the family are big fans of Merlin. It was lovely and quiet with plenty of free parking in the village below the castle.”
And someone else said: “I went with my mum because we loved the TV show Merlin. The castle is so stunning, it takes your breath away.”
The French castle has also been used as a filming location for other TV shows and films.
It is also said to have been the inspiration behind Disney castles like Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Snow White.
Chateau de Pierrefonds is set in Oise in northern France and is home to a drawbridge, battlements, dungeons, towers and turrets.
One of the castle’s main draws is the courtyard of honor, which was used as a filming location in Merlin.
There’s also a chapel in the castle as well as many stone and bronze statues.
Chateau de Pierrefonds has everything you’d expect in a magical kingdom, from a drawbridge, battlements and dungeons to towers and turrets.
During the peak season, the castle is open between 9.30am until 6pm.
Entry tickets into the castle cost €8 for a full-paying adult, while children under the age of 18 go free.
To get there, you can fly to Paris with one-way flights from £27, before taking a two-hour drive.
Or, you can get the ferry from Portsmouth to Le Havre, which is a three-hour drive.
Meanwhile, parts of the UK have also become famous thanks to the film industry.
The Kent town of Margate was featured in the new Hollywood blockbuster Empire of Light, starring Olivia Colman.
It became so cool that Americans started moving to the seaside town
Meanwhile, a magical beach in the UK where Harry Potter was filmed has been called a “surfer’s paradise” by fans of the franchise.