ultimate movie-inspired bucket list

Leah Fishman

I'm definitely not a film nerd, and can't tell you anything about the magic behind the scenes, but what I can say is: watching these places on screen makes me feel things. From the shoe-box Vienna record shop in 'Before Sunrise' to the sweaty Italian cobblestone streets in 'Call Me By Your Name,' I'd go out of my way to visit the real-life places that inspired all my comfort movie dreams.

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, West Bengal, India, Sligo, Salvation Mountain, Montauk, Café des Deux Moulins, Griffith Observatory, Notting Hill Bookshop, Katz's Delicatessen, Crema, Stanage Edge, Teuchtler Schallplattenhandlung u. Antiquariat, Mountain Lake Lodge

  • Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, West Bengal, India, India

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    • leah

      The train in Wes Anderson's Darjeeling Unlimited is sadly fictional, but its real life inspiration is even better. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was the very first hill railway in India and is still running today. Also known as “train to the clouds” or the “Toy Train,” the full railway from Kurseong to Ghum can take around 8-hours from start to finish.

  • Sligo in Ireland, Ireland

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    • leah

      Like every other person on the face of the Earth, watching the BBC adaptation of Sally Rooney's Normal People got me where it hurts. This coastal country town looks like a moody dream, filled with soaring flat-topped rocks (Ben Bulben), open space, and stunning beaches.

  • Salvation Mountain, United States

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    • leah

      Salvation Mountain is a crazy art sculpture/man-made mountain created from over half a million gallons of paint. It first fell on my radar after watching the 2007 film adaptation of Krakauer's Into the Wild, with a truly wild cameo Leonard Knight (the real life man behind the art).

  • Montauk in New York, United States

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    • leah

      Hope, love, desperation, perfect alliteration— when Eternal Sunshine's Kate Winslet says "Meet me in Montauk" as memory-Clementine, you freaking feel it. This tiny ocean town at the tip of Long Island would normally be a skip for me, but every time I watch the movie, I think: "I'd be totally down to cry on one of those beaches."

  • Café des Deux Moulins in Paris, France

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    • leah

      The cute art deco cafe where Amélie works is a real life place, located in the Montmartre area of Paris. And yes, you can order a special creme brulee, inspired by the icon herself.

  • Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, United States

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    • leah

      Whether you're pro La La Land or not, you can't deny that the otherworldly scene inside of Griffith Observatory + following exterior shots are filled with true magic and LA wanderlust.

  • Notting Hill Bookshop in Alcalá de Henares, Spain

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    • leah

      The iconic bookshop that inspired the movie—and one of the most famous movie lines of all time). Today, it's still open to the public, serving as a fully functioning bookstore and place to get down on one knee (the bookshop has reported several in-store proposals over the years).

  • Katz's Delicatessen in New York, United States

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    • leah

      NYC's most famous kosher-style delicatessen, known for its no-frills giant sandwiches and from ~that scene~ in When Harry Met Sally.

  • Crema, Italy

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    • leah

      If there was one movie that made me want to touch, smell and taste a place, it was Call Me By Your Name. You heard it here first: I won't rest until I can ride a bike, sweaty, through the cobblestone streets of Crema.

  • Stanage Edge, England

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    • leah

      My heart feels at home every time I watch Kiera Knightly's Elizabeth Bennet stand alone on the top of Stanage Edge, overlooking the green valleys and peaks of England's Peak District.

  • Teuchtler Schallplattenhandlung u. Antiquariat, Austria

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    • leah

      I had just turned 30 when I watched Richard Linklater's 'Before' trilogy all the way through (way too late, I know! I know!), and let me tell you, that shit rocked my world. While every shot in 'Before Sunrise' is heartbreakingly romantic, the tension created in the listening booth at Teuchtler Schallplattenhandlung u. Antiquariat is just.... on a different level. Beyond fame, this shop has a groovy atmosphere and is a perfect stop for music lovers and crate diggers.

  • Mountain Lake Lodge in Pembroke, United States

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    • leah

      Not only is Mountain Lake Lodge a dreamy, fully-functioning rustic getaway in Pembroke Virginia, but it's also the well-known filming location for the best 80's movie of all time: Dirty Dancing. While the property has seen some updates, most everything is intact: the lodge, the Houseman's cabin, the breakfast table, & the infamous lake from the lift scene.