Feminist fairytale places to visit
If you’re into female empowerment, there are allegedly “woke” fairy tales from the past that emphasize on female empowerment and are situated in unique locations that even a feminist should find acceptable. (It’s fine if you don’t believe in any of it.) These are lovely spots that any travel enthusiast should see.)
Efteling Theme Park, Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands
The fairy story world of Hans Christian Anderson, the Brothers Grimm, and Charles Perrault inspired this amusement park. A talking gnarly oak, a life-sized replica of Rapunzel’s tower, complete with Rapunzel, and a statue of the less-famous Naughty Princess may all be found here. Said princess was a woman who followed her own set of laws.
H.C. Andersen House, Odense, Denmark
The fairy stories of Hans Christian Andersen have become part of our culture. At the newly opened H.C. Andersen’s House, feminists can dive deep into the author’s original, surprisingly progressive texts. Feminists will learn that the original “Little Mermaid” was not a Disney doll, and that she intended to throw the price into the sea to save herself. Then it’s off to the museum’s other attractions, including the underground exhibits and gardens.
Bryggen, Bergen, Norway
“Charmingly subversive stories of sisterhood,” one critic said of Disney’s Frozen animated flicks. The Bryggen district is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that influenced the entire style and look of the famous fictitious village of Arendelle. They are adapted from Hans Christian Andersen’s stories, which contain two empowered female characters, Anna and Elsa.
Waterfall Resort on Noyes Island, Alaska, USA
The Salmon Princess depicts a woman described as a “feminist icon” who wears a gown made of dazzling fish scales. This is yet another version of the original Cinderella story, complete with an eagle spirit godmother and a princess who is a fisherwoman. Simply stop by the lovely Steamboat Bay Fishing Club to discover the landscape of literature. While bald eagles circle above you, you can fish for tenacious king salmon. By renting lodgings in the private lodge, which is embellished with the work of the luxury resort’s fishing guide, you may discover more about the Indigenous Haida culture.
Palm Springs, California, USA
Delightfully Different Fairy Tales by David Roberts combines female empowerment stories with antique settings. The book includes a rewriting of the famous Sleeping Beauty story, as well as drawings that are said to be inspired by Palm Springs. True admirers of this renovation and its distinct design aesthetic should visit during the annual Modernism Week.
Dakar, Senegal
The colors, culture, and different patterns of Dakar are shown in the widely read Fatou and the Kora: A Modern West African Fairy Tale. This is a fantastic story about a determined young lady who, due to her culture’s traditional gender roles, is eternally barred from learning to play her father’s African harp (or kora). Naturally, because this is a feminist-approved fiction, she learns not only how to play the instrument, but also masters it. Dakar’s “sprawling grace,” as some characterize it, can be found here. You’ll witness the pastel-colored landscape that was “previously built of kingdoms and civilizations.”
Mont-Saint-Michel, Normandy, France
You must visit Mont-Saint-Michel if you have read and appreciated author Angela Carter’s 1979 tale The Bloody Chamber, an extreme rendition of the Bluebeard fable. The “mysterious medieval monastery…mirrors the Marquis’ castle setting” described in the scorching tome, according to veteran visitors. While this solid stronghold does not include a horrifying chamber filled with decapitated heads, it does have a lovely Benedictine Abbey that has long been a popular pilgrimage site. It was also the inspiration for Disney’s popular Tangled cartoon. Do you want it to be romantic? Travel there in a beautiful Maringote horse-drawn carriage.
Lake Kussharo, Akan National Park, Japan
The beauty of Xanthe Gresham’s Wild Swans, a retelling of the famous Andersen tale, can be discovered here. In the dead of winter, this gorgeous caldera lake becomes even more enthralling. Because it is then that hundreds of wild whooper swans arrive from Russia to enjoy the hot springs.
Because residents claim a creature roams the lagoon, this lake is also known as the nation’s “Loch Ness.” The backdrop in Gresham’s watery gift of a female idol who protects both her feathery siblings and her birthplace is similar to this location. The author mocks the idea of an evil stepmother and female protagonists finding love, although she does stick to the idea of a “happily ever after” ending.
The Roxbury at Stratton Falls, New York
This may seem a little far-fetched to the jaded. On a first visit, though, one can get the impression that they are following in Alice’s footsteps and have gone down the classic rabbit hole, only to find themselves in some bizarre paradise. Nonetheless, this magnificent maximalist hotel elevates the concept of themed rooms to new heights.
Choose from an eclectic range of rooms, including (but not limited to) Dracula’s terrifying lair, Wonder Woman’s beautiful room, and the stunning Game of Thrones suite, which is guaranteed to get you to the Thronies no matter where you are. The magnificent Cinderella’s Gown cottage, which contains a gorgeous bathroom within a giant pumpkin carriage and an exceptional 18-foot ball gown that doubles as the bedroom canopy, will appeal to fairy tale aficionados. Of course, feminists might choose to read a bit of Rebecca Solnit’s Cinderella Liberator before drifting off to a story of distinct home emancipation.