Maps of Movies

Frozen (2013)

Where Frozen says it takes place, and where it was really shot.

Arendelle is not on any map: Frozen is animated, and its fjords, castle roofs and wooden harbour come from Norway

Scenes and places

The trolls who erase Anna's memory (2013)

After Elsa's magic hits Anna, their parents rush the girls to the trolls. Grand Pabbie heals Anna and erases her memory of Elsa's powers. The king and queen decide to close the castle gates to keep Elsa's magic hidden.

Set in The trolls' valley — A hidden valley where Grand Pabbie's trolls live; the setting of this scene is not tied to a real place.

The Wikipedia article names no real place for the trolls' home; the film's troll elements are listed among its Scandinavian cultural borrowings.

Coronation day in Arendelle (2013)

On Elsa's coronation day the castle gates open to the public for the first time. Anna meets Prince Hans and falls in love at first sight, while Elsa struggles to hide her gloves and her fear.

Set in Arendelle castle and town — The castle compound of the fictional kingdom of Arendelle, set by a fjord; no real place is its model scene for scene.

Arendelle is a fictional kingdom based on Norway. Wikipedia says the stave-church rooflines inspired the castle compound and an Oslo castle with painted walls inspired its interior, without naming either.

Filmed at Nærøyfjord, Norway (inspiration for Arendelle; not a filming location) — The film is animated, so nothing was filmed here. Wikipedia says Arendelle was inspired by this fjord. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there:

Elsa's powers are exposed (2013)

Anna asks Elsa to bless her engagement to Hans, and Elsa refuses and shuts the party down. In the argument that follows her magic bursts out in front of the whole court, and the Duke of Weselton calls it witchcraft. Elsa flees across the fjord, leaving a winter behind her.

Set in Arendelle castle and fjord — The ballroom and courtyard of the castle, then the frozen fjord below it; fictional.

The fjord is the kingdom's defining landscape: Wikipedia says it was Norway's fjords with their massive vertical rock formations that shaped the setting.

The ice palace on the North Mountain (2013)

Alone on the North Mountain, Elsa lets her powers loose for the first time without fear. She builds an ice palace and decides to live as a hermit, not knowing her magic has plunged Arendelle into an eternal winter.

Set in North Mountain and ice palace — A mountain beyond the fjord where Elsa builds her palace; fictional, with no real counterpart named in the sources.

The article gives no real-world model for the North Mountain or the palace, but says the filmmakers sent artists to Quebec City's Ice Hotel to study how light reflects and refracts on snow and ice.

Anna meets Kristoff at the trading post (2013)

Anna leaves Hans in charge and sets out after Elsa. At a trading post she needs winter clothes, and meets the ice courier Kristoff, who is arguing over prices. She asks what was happening on the North Mountain, and persuades him and his reindeer Sven to take her there.

Set in Oaken's trading post and sauna — A shop and sauna on the way to the North Mountain; fictional.

Wikipedia notes that the reindeer sleds, equipment and the outfits of the ice cutters draw on Sámi culture, and that Disney's team visited a Sámi family-owned reindeer company in Plassja.

Anna reaches the ice palace (2013)

Guided by the snowman Olaf, Anna and Kristoff reach the palace. Anna tells Elsa what has become of Arendelle, and Elsa's fear makes her accidentally hit Anna with ice again, freezing her heart. Elsa creates a giant snow monster and casts Anna out.

Set in North Mountain and ice palace — Elsa's palace on the North Mountain; fictional.

Olaf is a living snowman created by Elsa's magic who meets Anna and Kristoff on the way.

Kristoff takes Anna back to the trolls (2013)

With Anna slowly freezing, Kristoff takes her to the trolls for help. The trolls mistake her for his bride-to-be. Grand Pabbie says only an act of true love can thaw her heart, so Kristoff and Olaf race her back to the castle.

Set in The trolls' valley — The same hidden troll valley as the opening; fictional.

Wikipedia lists trolls among the film's Scandinavian cultural elements, along with stave churches, Viking ships and lutefisk.

Filmed at Akershus Fortress, Oslo — Arendelle (scene not specified) Google Maps · Apple Maps

Filmed at Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim — Arendelle (scene not specified) Google Maps · Apple Maps

Filmed at Bryggen, Bergen — Arendelle (scene not specified) Google Maps · Apple Maps

Filmed at Jackson Hole, Wyoming — Production research (not in the film) Google Maps · Apple Maps

Filmed at Ice Hotel, Quebec City — Production research (not in the film) Google Maps · Apple Maps

Filmed at Solvang, California — Production research (not in the film) Google Maps · Apple Maps

Characters

• Elsa — The princess, later queen, of Arendelle, born with the power to create ice and snow.
• Anna — Elsa's younger sister, who loses her memory of Elsa's magic as a child.
• Kristoff — An ice courier who, with his reindeer Sven, guides Anna up the North Mountain.

Questions answered on the map

• Which real place inspired Arendelle in Frozen?