Castle seen in Harry Potter offers lessons for fans to fly on a broomstick

All of this happened in just one portion of Alnwick, as to this day the 12th Duke of Northumberland and his descendants live in another part of the estate — making it the second largest castle still inhabited in England; The first is Windsor Castle, where Queen Elizabeth spent the last years of her life and which serves as the residence of the British Royal Family for some periods of the year.

To capitalize on this curiosity among fans of the saga, the Percy family transformed Alnwick into a holiday retreat for those who dream of being wizards, where it is possible to learn to shoot archery, take lessons to fly on a broomstick and create your own wand. There are also customized guided tours that show tourists how the castle became Hogwarts during filming.

Upon entering the Dragon’s Lair, visitors can also engage in a series of activities that were common in the address’s medieval past: making legitimate medieval soap, learning how to make period tiles, dressing in medieval costumes, among other options. . There is also an entertainment menu for adults that includes a tour of the museums, library, state quarters and the tower inside Alwick, as well as seeing a replica of a cannon from the Napoleonic Wars era.

Visitors can still have fun with the castle’s cultural agenda, which frequently welcomes authors of historical fiction books for chats, performances and more. Its outdoor area is also a spectacle in itself, with the gardens designed by the Duchess of Northumberland with attractions such as water sculptures, a treehouse restaurant — the traditional fish & chips are prepared in the Victorian way — and a cafe, as well as a souvenir shop.