Exploring the Real-Life Locations of Famous Mythical Places

The lost continent of Atlantis, the beautiful paradise of Shinga, and the majestic Valhalla - these are just some places that are mentioned in folklore or stories that many of us would love to visit. And this is why myths and legends are so fascinating - they are often based on something real. If you've ever wanted to visit a place that you thought only existed in storybooks, then you're in luck. In this article, we will cover 4 mythical places that actually exist.

1. Camelot

Now we all know about Arthur, the boy who pulled the sword from the stone and befriended a powerful wizard, Merlin. Arthur became king later on, and he and his knights at the Round Table resided in Camelot, a fabled castle city that first appeared in 12th-century French romances and eventually became a representation of King Arthur. There are several possible locations for a real-life Camelot, and one of them is in Winchester, England. In Winchester, there is a huge round table in the Great Hall that is said to actually be King Arthur's Round Table. This place was first mentioned by Sir Thomas Malory in his Le Morte d'Arthur in 1485, where he identifies the place as the Camelot in legends. Another speculation is that Camelot is associated with Tintagel Castle and that King Arthur was actually born there. Tintagel was built in the 6th century, which is around the time that Arthur may have lived. Also, 150 fragments of ancient artifacts were found that had been imported from around the world, and an important slate was found that had writing dating back to the Dark Ages. The artifact dates back to the late 5th century, the time that a man similar to Arthur was said to have ruled.

2. Garden of Eden

A place where a woman convinced a man to take a bite out of an apple and ruin his life - biblical scholars believe that the central marshes of modern-day Iraq are home to the Garden of Eden or where the garden once stood, a region near the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. In Genesis, the garden was said to be located at a river that parted into four, one of which was the Euphrates. Also, the marshes in the area actually disappeared for years, but after they were revived, all 278 species that once lived on land survived. This correlates with the Bible's mention that the garden is a magical place filled with exotic species of animals.

3. Sherwood Forest

One of my favorite movies was where a British guy had an American accent - Robin Hood, the man who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. We all know that the place where he lived was Sherwood Forest. Sherwood Forest is a royal forest in Nottinghamshire, England, that is known for its association with the legend of Robin Hood, a heroic outlaw in English folklore who, according to legend, was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. The forest is also known for its ancient oak trees which are estimated to be between 500 and 1,000 years old.

4. Shangri-La

Shangri-La is a fictional place described in the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by James Hilton. The novel describes a mystical, harmonious valley that is immune to the troubles of the outside world. In the book, Shangri-La is located in the Kunlun Mountains in Tibet. However, there are real places that have been associated with Shangri-La. For example, in China, there is a town called Zhongdian that has been renamed Shangri-La to attract tourists. There is also a valley in Pakistan called Hunza that is sometimes referred to as Shangri-La.

Myths and legends may be based on some real places and events. Even though some of these mythical places may not be exactly as they were described in the stories, it is still fascinating to know that they really do exist.