#24. Arkham Asylum - Batman
Let's start with Arkham Asylum, from the ever-famous Batman. In the series, this spooky building is a psychiatric hospital for the Criminally Insane. Many of Batman's enemies either have already been here or soon will. But does the hospital really exist?
Well... yes and no! On the one hand, the building isn't a real hospital and it was only built for filming purposes. However, the Arkham Asylum was inspired by a real-life psychiatric hospital, the Danvers State Insane Asylum, which you can actually visit!
#23. Central Perk - Friends
We're all familiar with Central Perk, the cafe where the main cast of Friends would often hang out and gossip. Yet, as simple as a concept it is... It's not actually a real cafeteria. Just like the house of Mr. Sheffield in The Nanny, it's only a set.
You can actually go and visit the set, but sadly, you won't be able to sit down and enjoy a coffee! It's not in New York either, but in Warner Brother Studios in Los Angeles, California.
#22. The Lost City Of Atlantis
If you're a fan of the supernatural, you'll probably find this deceiving, but, according to BBC, Atlantis is fictional. Despite the tales we've grown up with, it appears to be that the ever famous Lost City of Atlantis was made up.
True, Plato did write about it on his work "Timaeus and Critias", but let's not forget that Plato did like to mix reality and fiction. According to a renowned philosopher, "This lost city is only mentioned within an allegory on the hubris of nations".
#21. El Dorado
Let's switch to another lost city, and this one might in fact be real! Legend has it that there is a city in the New World, more specifically somewhere in Colombia, that is entirely made of gold. Many conquerors have gone to great lengths to find it, but without success.
National Geographic claims that "although believed to be real, this city is supposedly made up entirely of gold, does not in fact exist". My personal take? If the city was ever found, it would already be completely ransacked by now!
#20. Camelot
We all know the tale of King Arthur, the royalty who pulled the Sword out of the Stone and thereby became King of England, assisted Merlin, the wizard. During his rule, King Arthur lived in the city of Camelot... But how much of this is true?
According to Live Science: "Camelot is a mythical castled city that is said to be located somewhere in Great Britain, where King Arthur himself held court. However, no such place ever really existed".
#19. The Bermuda Triangle
While the Bermuda Triangle certainly exists, the myth that ships and planes passing through its cursed waters disappear without a trace is completely false, and here's why.
The Bermuda Triangle is a triangular area which is formed by connecting Florida, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico. As you can imagine, this is an area for HEAVY traffic, both by sea and air. Planes regularly fly over this area, and none of them disappear.
#18. Fairy Pools - Scotland
Have you ever looked up travel pics on Google and felt awestruck by the beauty of the natural sceneries depicted in some of the images? While looking at pictures online may spark your wanderlust, here's something you should bear in mind.
Sometimes, pictures are digitally manipulated to trick people into seeing something that doesn't really exist in real life. Sadly, this is the case with the famous Fairy Pools located in Isle of Skye, Scotland. Don't expect to find such purple flowers and turqouise waters.
#17. Moon & Star Island - Maui
And speaking of photoshopped pictures meant to trick others, here's a rather obvious case that we can't help but mention: the "Moon & Star island" in Maui, Hawaii. I know that islands come in all shapes and sizes, but this is just ridiculous.
You probably figured that this was an artificial island, just like the world map-shaped island in Dubai. However, this was only the product of some very well-achieved photoshopping techniques.
#16. Castle Island
Ever heard of Castle Island before? How such a building was ever built is definitely a head-scratcher. was even built! Did the earth surrounding the castle just keep falling until there was nothing left around it?? Or was it an incredible architectonic feat?? Well, neither!
As you can imagine, this place was also photoshopped, though both the castle AND the island are real, only that they're not located one above the other! The castle is actually a portion of the Lichtenstein Castle in Germany, while the island is located in Khao Phing Kan, Thailand.
#15. Temple Of Lysistrata - Greece
With its many islands with beautiful beaches scattered through the Aegean sea, Greece is a fan-favorite destination for many. However, if you were already packing your bags and heading to Greece hoping to visit the Temple of Lysistrata, you might want to stop for a moment.
The beach near the temple does exist, and so do those giant rocks... However, the ceiling is actually another photoshop edit. In fact, that man-made structure its part of the Pantheon in Rome. That little detail aside, you definitely should go to Greece!
#14. The Capitol - Panem
Are there any Hunger Games fans out there? I'm sure many of you have wondered whether Panem and The Capitol, allegedly located somewhere in North America, are real or not, and don't worry, we've got the answer!
While these sites do appear to be true, they're completely fake. Fictional setting creators have really upped their skills in the last few years, as many fans were fooled into thinking that the city was the real deal!
#13. Riverdale
When Riverdale, a dramatic version of the famous comic Archie, debuted in Netflix, it became an instant hit! And, just like in Friends, many fans fell for the charm of the setting, hoping to visit it in real life. But is that possible?
According to Romper, "Riverdale was inspired by numerous locations across the United States of America, mainly New York, and is quite easily believable as a real city based off its small-town feel". However, the city isn't real!
#12. Genovia - Princess Diaries
One of Anne Hathaway's most memorable roles was that in the live-action princess story Princess Diaries. You probably remember that young teenage Mia finds out that she was to become the heir to the throne of Genovia, which actually sounds like a real kingdom!
However, don't be fooled: while Genevia sounds very much like a very famous Swiss city, it's a totally made up place! "The country is a play on Italy's Genoa and Switzerland's Geneva, giving off the illusion of it being a legitimate country", explained one of the writers.
#11. Gotham City - Batman
And we're back to Batman, though this time, to talk about something way bigger than a mental facility: an entire city! As we know, Batman is the one keeping evil at bay in the chaotic Gotham City, but does this place really exist?
According to Gotham Alleys, "The city was inspired after similar cities such as New York, New Jersey, Detroit, Pittsburgh and Chicago, where a lot of the filming took place for the movies". Mystery solved!
#10. The Shire - Lord Of The Rings
Among all the many fantastic, gorgeous, ethereal, and ancient movie settings, the one in the Lord of the Rings trilogy really stands out. Ever wondered whether The Shire — home to Frodo, Sam, and the rest of the hobbits — is real?
Filmed in New Zealand, the scenes for The Shire took place in the town of Matamata, wherein a real life Hobbiton was built. The team decided to leave the set as a permanent atraction for the devoted tourists, but don't expect to stumble unto any hobbit!
#9. Ngyen Khag Taktsang Monastery
Famous for its breathtaking beauty, the Ngyen Khag Taktsang Monastery is located in China. It might be obvious at first sight, but it's still worth mentioning that while the rock formations are indeed impressive, the carvings seen on the photo were digitally added.
The person who edited this photograph is actually a well-known artist famous for his skillful trickery, and goes by the username Aristophanes. While his work is indeed impressive, I'd also like to be tricked less often!
#8. King's Landing - Game Of Thrones
Game Of Thrones, the adaptation of the saga A Song Of Ice And Fire, is a fan-favorite even within its own genre, mainly thanks to its realistic, down to earth depiction of medieval life.
Unlike the typical Disney castle, the ones featured in GOT are messy, full of garbage, and surrounded by deteriorated houses. While many fans figured that King's Landing was an actual place, it was actually part of a film set, while some scenes were shot in Dubrovnik, Croatia.
#7. Villa Gesell - X-Men
When X-Men: First Class came out in 2011, fans were baffled by the beauty of the mountains featured in some of the scenes, and according to the legends, those mountains were located in Villa Gesell, Argentina.
However, when the film hit the theaters in Argentina, it had all the moviegoers in stitches. It turns out that Villa Gesell is actually a beach resort and you won't find mountains anywhere near it. Those scenes were actually shot over 1500 kilometers away, in Villa La Angostura.
#6. Hogwarts - Harry Potter
No matter where you live or how old you are, I'm sure you're familiar with Harry Potter, the story about a young boy who discovers he's a wizard and is sent to study at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Who hasn't dreamed of graduating from Hogwarts?
While certain shots of the exterior of the building were shot at Alnwick Castle, some of the interior shots were shot at Durham Cathedral. However, the school is completely fictional. For those who can settle for Diagon Alley, there are installations to see it at the Warner Studios!
#5. Loch Ness - Scotland
Much like the Bermuda Triangle, the Loch Ness, located in Scotland, is a very real place. What is dubious in nature is what it allegedly hides within its waters: a monster. While I'm willing to believe Nessie is out there, I'll better stick to scientific facts for the sake of the article.
The Loch Ness is actually a very large, deep, and ice-cold lake, which makes looking for a particular creature of any given size a very difficult task, something that would indeed take many years, enough to have this mystery animal die before even being found.
#4. Shangri-La, China
Shangri-La is famously depicted as a place thriving with luxurious hotels and lavish shops, but the thing is... does Shangri-La really exist?? Why, yes! Of course! But maybe it's not as luxurious and glitzy as photos make it out to be.
Shangri-La is actually a county located in Yunnan province, China. "Despite its paradise illusion, there is more to Shangri-La that people don't know about it, including some less than fabulous views and areas that aren't so 'Shangri-La'", The Telegraph said.
#3. Dracula's Castle
Dracula is so ingrained in popular culture that we often forget this minor, insignificant detail: He's a fictional character! He was created by Bram Stoker, heavily influenced by the aristocrat, elegant vampire ideal that Polidori had created in his tale The Vampyre.
Therefore, while there are many castles across Europe —several of them eerie enough to befit any vampire—, there is no particular castle belonging Dracula himself. However, legend has it that the castle in Stoker's book was inspired on Vlad The Impaler's residence.
#2. Costa Luna - Princess Protection Program
Just like The Princess Diaries made us believe there was actually a small kingdom called Genovia, we were also fooled after watching Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez's Princess Protection Program.
To make the audience believe that Costa Luna was a real country, the characters had their own language, government, royal family... you know, the whole package. But of course, it was completely made up. They went with a name that sounded similar to other places, such as *"Costa Rica".
#1. Basin City - Sin City
Yeah, we left the best for last! The action-thriller film Sin City takes place in the violent and gory Basin City, which is actually a mishmash of different American cities.
According to Movie Stach Exchange, Basin City is completely fictional, though it was inspired by different cities, like Los Angeles. "Although the film did a great job at making viewers believe it was, in fact, real, it's yet another deceiving destination that does not exist", they claimed.