Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal sit among the windswept dales of North Yorkshire, where centuries of monastic life gave way to one of England’s most exquisite garden ensembles. Founded in 1132, Fountains Abbey grew into a vast Benedictine complex whose ruins rise above tranquil moats and cloistered walkways; nearby Studley Royal’s formal water garden was laid out in the 18th century to create a landscape of order and romantic perspective. The site’s hushed courtyards, weathered stone and manicured lawns evoke a mood of timeless pilgrimage, inviting visitors to wander between history and myth. The Witcher used the ruins as Aretuza’s courtyard and cloisters, lending the location an extra layer of myth and cinematic atmosphere that lingers long after you leave the stone paths.

Fountains Abbey – Lake Walk sits among the ruins of the medieval Fountains Abbey and the serene Studley Royal Water Garden, where weathered stone meets tranquil lakes and winding paths. Founded in 1132, the abbey rose to prominence as a Cistercian monastery, its arches and cloisters echoing centuries of prayer, harvests, and seasonal pageantry. The site gained cinematic renown when its rugged ruins became Aretuza’s courtyard and cloisters for The Witcher, lending the landscape a mythic air of magic and politics. Today the atmosphere is hushed and timeless, with swans gliding on the water and soft Yorkshire light turning the stone into something almost otherworldly, inviting visitors to imagine legends walking the grounds.

Fountains Abbey, founded in 1132 by Benedictine monks, stands as one of the grandest surviving Cistercian ensembles in England, with Studley Royal’s landscaped grounds adding a serene baroque counterpoint to the austere ruins. The Refectory precincts echo centuries of monastic life, where timbered walls, vaulted ceilings, and moss-covered stone create a hushed atmosphere of learning and endurance. Today, the site radiates a cinematic stillness that drew The Witcher’s production designers to transform its courtyards into Aretuza’s cloisters, blending magic with millennia of stone. Visitors stroll through time here, feeling the weight of history as water features and open skies reflect in the ruins’ quiet grandeur.