Hogwarts!

Daniel Radcliffe's Hand Prints

On Tuesday, Katie and i set off with our new friend Paula to explore a little piece of our childhoods. After a short train ride, and trip on a double-decker bus, we arrived at Hogwarts! Or as they call it, Warner Brothers Studio Tour: The Making of Harry Potter. This was, without a doubt, the best £30 I spent in London! 

The Great Hall!

When the tour began, two gigantic oak doors opened into none other than the great hall! I'm talking about the actual room where Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson were sorted into Griffindor, and began their adventures at the school of witchcraft and wizardry! Then, we were ushered into a giant warehouse of a room, where displays of various costumes, props, and smaller sets had been erected. For example, the fancy getups our favorite characters wore to the Yule Ball in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and the real Sorcerer's Stone used in the first movie, and even the Weasley's quaint home, the Borough. In this area, we were also given a lesson in the art of magical dueling, and got to gaze into the real Mirror of Erised!

Riding the Knight Bus

Next, we went outside to see larger sets like Number 4 Privet Drive, the Potter's home at Godric's Hollow, and the iconic Bridge that Neville Longbottom blows up in the final movie in order to thwart the invading death eaters! Other outdoor sights included the Knight Bus and the actual Flying Car! Outside, we also had the opportunity to buy pints of butter beer and other refreshments. (We chose to pass because we hear by word of mouth that butter beer is actually quite foul tasting.)

We then returned inside, where we saw the many animation machines used throughout the movies like the werewolves, Buckbeak, and The Monster Book of Monsters that chases Harry around his room in the third movie. Next on the list was the art department, where the world of Harry Potter was first imagined by the film crew's various artists and designers. Every set and prop in the films began with an image, though of and then sketched by creative minds. It was truly amazing to realize how much planning went into each detail! 

Hogwarts Castle

The tour ended with, what else, the Hogwarts Castle, itself! A scale replica of the Hogwarts Castle was constructed in meticulous detail for all of the close up shots of the towers and buildings in the movies. The only way to describe seeing Hogwarts up close in real life is mesmerizing. After spending 3 hours in the magical world Warner Brothers created for Harry Potter, I never wanted to leave. If you ever plan on going to London, and you have ever read or seen Harry Potter, this should be the first stop of your trip!


To see more photos of my adventure in London, follow this link.

With love, from Lausanne
Mindy