One of the best parts of binge-reading a series like A Court of Thorns and Roses is the passport-free mental vacation that comes with every page. But I’ve recently discovered that romantasy bookworms can turn their favorite novels into a real-world vacation, too. The rolling hills of green, castles surrounded by enchanted woods, and crystal clear lakes of the Spring Court, for example, are a huge part of what instantly makes the ACOTAR series’ escapism top-notch; every court (even the terrifying ones — looking at you, home of Hewn City!) is so colorfully painted it’s hard not to picture the backdrop for Feyre’s cross-country romps.
So, as I locked in with my new late-night lovestory, I did a little digging. Fantasy fans have figured out author Sarah J. Maas may have drawn inspo from the gorgeous geography of many real-life countries when building her make-believe universe. (The fact that the book’s map strongly resembles the layout of the UK is a huge hint, TBF.) Scotland is one of the lush countries that readers have been able to pick up on in Prythian, so I simply had to book a flight to live my Feyre fantasy abroad (sexy ripped shapeshifters sadly not included).
Literary tourism is the latest travel trend you and/or your book club needs to try; here’s how.
What is literary tourism?
Literary tourism is when readers travel to the real-life locations that match (sometimes made-up) places in their favorite books, whether those books cover the steamy fairy sagas, murder investigations by the Nile, or a rainy PNW town plagued vampires. While the kingdoms and cultures of romantasy novels are far from reality, the places these characters call home are often strikingly similar to fantastical places IRL. Even though you can’t find ACOTAR’s Prythian or Outlander’s Fraser’s Ridge on a map (the way you totally could with Forks, Washington), the geography of many fantasy novels correlates to real regions just a plane ride away.
Is Prythian based on a real country?
By the time I got to book three, A Court of Wings and Ruin, I had visited Prythian in my mind about a million times, and I’m not the only one. Fan speculation about which court is where in the real world has become a hot topic online (friendly reminder, these fictional characters don’t have human nationalities for a reason!). Cruising Reddit, TikTok, and other fan forums to find theories about your favorite fantasy novel is the first step in planning your literary tourism trip.
After dissecting Maas’ descriptions, it feels safe to assume Prythian is not a one-for-one transplant of the United Kingdom. I mean, for one, the Summer Court sounds like something straight out of the Mediterranean to me (I get Greece vibes, but other fans vote Croatia). Call me crazy, but the fall core of New England felt just like the Autumn Court, though many readers have clocked Germany’s Black Forest. Velaris, the heart of the Night Court, is agreed upon to emulate Zermatt, Switzerland, and similarly, some link the Winter Court to be a Nordic winter wonderland. On the opposite end, the Day Court could take inspiration from Prague or Spain, while the Dawn Court might just be too heavenly to exist anywhere on God’s green Earth.
One of my dream places to buy property behind the wall would be the Spring Court (Tamlin be damned). A warm, sunny day with a cool breeze blowing through fields of flowers? Um, yes, sign me up! So I ventured to Scotland, and its Highlands, to get the Spring Court experience.
Places In Scotland That Are Linked To Fantasy Novels
There are so many books that can bring you to Scotland: Game of Thrones, Outlander, Harry Potter, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Braveheart, and many more — including ACOTAR. No matter the fabled fiction that influences you, chances are you’ll want to spend time in your destination’s capital city, in this case, Edinburgh. The Moxy Edinburgh Fountainbridge was my choice for a central haven as a self-sufficient traveler who never settles for an elevated home base. From the hotel (after eating enough English breakfast from the breakfast bar to prepare for +20K steps), I was able to bop around to so many of the bookish locations on my to-do list.
Old Edinburgh has more than enough history to transport visitors to a parallel universe. A walking tour with the Museum of Magic, Fortune-telling & Witchcraft, that ends at the incredible Edinburgh Castle, explains witchy folklore for magic and history buffs. Strolling downtown, you can drink at the pub where the actual Dr. Jekyll got drunk (Deacon Brodie’s Tavern), walk through the real Diagon Alley, and dine in a centuries-old, spellbinding restaurant called The Witchery, where the Gothic experience felt like somewhere Rhysand’s court would swap war stories or the lords and ladies of Westeros might hit up for a date spot.
Outside of the old city, Edinburgh has some of the best museums if you’re artistically inclined (like the Archeron sisters): You can explore portraits, paintings, poetry, and libraries to inspire your next moody creative session. Speaking of the Archerons, Elain would so approve of stunning floral displays in the Royal Botanic Garden. I seriously considered uprooting my entire life to relocate to Dean Village, a storybook stone village over the Water of Leith that had me whistling Hobbit tunes.
Because I stayed at a hotel in the mix of the action, jumping on a day trip to the Highlands was a breeze. A guided tour was the simplest way to take in so much of the territory in one go. Everything, from the palaces to the lochs to the small fishing town where we stopped for lunch, screamed Spring Court. Unsurprisingly, the Highlands hold filming locations for GOT, Outlander, Monty Python, and probs any TBD ACOTOR TV project, too. But even without an IMDB page, all of these scenic spots were magically transportative enough to merit a visit; finding idyllic little gems to escape to, wherever your book tour takes you, doesn’t have to be an exact science.
How To Do A Book Store Crawl
No book-lover’s vacay would be complete without a healthy dose of reading. Turns out, Scotland is an incredible place for an impromptu bookstore crawl, where you can hop around from store to store for a selection of books you probably can’t find at home. On a rainy afternoon, I grabbed a coffee from Book n’ Cup Cafe and ventured out to Armchair Books, Edinburgh Books, and my absolute favorite, The Gently Mad Book Shop & Bookbinder, among others. It’s hard not to mention Topping & Company, where shopping comes with tea and a photo op on a ladder, a la Princess Belle.
In case that’s not enough bibliophilic action, should you opt to stay at a Moxy, there’s also a little free library at most locations! There’s also a very social lobby lounge to serve as your book club’s de facto living room, with enough space to actually kick it, with drinks, snacks, and board games — after you hog the photo booth with your fellow club members. As a solo traveler, retreating to the reading nook in the corner of my room was a sweet treat after a day of trekking.
Travel Destinations Straight Out Of A Book
I’ll say it: York is way too slept on as a travel destination. After a peaceful train ride down to England (ahh, the power of public transit!), stepping into York felt like tumbling into another time. The city’s narrows, closes, and wynds (a.k.a. the windy cobblestone alleyways) had me subconsciously cosplaying a wizard in a coming-of-age tale. I even took a campy potion-making class in the Shambles just to make sure a cauldron wouldn’t awaken any dormant magical power in me or whatever. In fact, there are plenty of nerdy sorcery excursions in York, just ask everyone waiting in line for The York Ghost Merchants, where you can customize an adorable little ghost doll. Out in nature, The Foss Fairy Trail probs healed my inner child.
York has medieval culture peaking out on every corner, so I also got my play my own knight in shining armor when exploring historic treasures like the Merchant Adventurers Hall (a tradesman club and museum), Monk Bar (a medieval fortress point), Clifford’s Tower, and of course, The Minster (the landmark Cathedral). I kept the medieval vibes going at York’s Moxy location thanks to their Renaissance decor and beer garden.
Yes, sure, it’s kind of a bummer I’ll never be able to actually stroll down Thorns and Roses’ Sidra River to the market squares while checking out views of The Rainbow of Velaris. But I’ll take walking along York’s River Ouse to peruse bespoke little shoppy shops instead, any day.
