The places from fiction novels we long to explore in person—and the real-world retreats that evoke their spirit
The concept of travel is rarely confined to physical borders or accessible airports. Often, the most evocative landscapes we encounter are those rendered in ink and paper, environments that exist solely within the consciousness of a reader. While modern tourism focuses on the tangible, there is a persistent longing for places from fiction novels that provide more than just a backdrop. These settings function as characters themselves, offering atmospheres that real-world geography cannot always replicate. The desire to step into a constructed reality stems from a unique blend of nostalgia and curiosity.
For the discerning traveller, the frustration lies in the inability to book a flight to a destination that feels more familiar than many actual cities. These locations are defined by their sensory details and the specific emotions they evoke. Although literary tourism allows us to visit the real-world inspirations for famous books, the original, unadulterated visions remain out of reach. Here are five places from fiction novels that remain high on our list of impossible itineraries.
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Le Cirque des Rêves from ‘The Night Circus’ by Erin Morgenstern
In The Night Circus, the circus is not a static location but a monochromatic labyrinth that arrives without warning. It is defined by its black and white striped tents and a clock that defies standard horology. Unlike a traditional carnival, this venue operates only at night and follows an internal logic where gravity and scale feel mutable. For a comparable sense of theatrical unreality, attending a nocturnal immersive theatre experience at London's West End might offer a parallel. Moving through dimly lit spaces, guided by sound, shadow and fragmented narrative, recreates the same disorientation and heightened attention found in Le Cirque des Rêves.
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