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When Tim Burton’s deliciously dark drama Wednesday hit Netflix in 2022 it became an instant phenomenon. An invigorating remake of the classic Addams Family, it showcases the deadpan charisma of Jenna Ortega, as Wednesday Addams confronts all of the typical angsty issues facing High School students in Vermont. Except with, you know, more werewolves.
If, like us, you gazed at all those gorgeously gothic filming locations and thought: “Where was Wednesday filmed?” you’re in luck. Because Wednesday wasn’t actually filmed in Vermont at all. It was instead shot in an entirely different continent: in the gothic beauty of some of Europe’s most underrated destinations. Which locations, you ask? Read on for the top Wednesday filming locations you need to visit while exploring one of the most underrated travel destinations in Europe.
Wednesday season 1 filming locations
Romania
According to director Tim Burton, Romania was a natural “fit into the Addams Family world,” and though “trying to make Romania look like Vermont,” was an “interesting challenge”, it helped them find “lots of new locations.”
Let’s check them out!
1. Cantacuzino Castle
Most of Wednesday series one takes place in Nevermore Academy, and its gnarly neo-gothic exterior is actually Cantacuzino Castle, situated in Bușteni, Romania – nestled in the Carpathian mountains. (Fun fact: it was once the summer home of Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino, Romania’s Prime Minister. Quite a spooky hangout tbh). Today, as well as providing a suitably creepy exterior for Wednesday’s Nevermore School, it’s open to the public, providing tours of the building, surrounding gardens and even an art gallery.
Much of the filming for Wednesday happened in Bușteni during the depths of winter, giving it that starkly beautiful but slightly spooky aesthetic.
Image source:Alexandra Marta / unsplash
2. Palatul Monteoru & Casa Niculescu-Dorobantu
So that’s Nevermore’s exterior sorted. But where were the interior scenes filmed? For those, you’ll have to travel to two other majestic Neo-Gothic buildings, Palatul Monteoru and Casa Niculescu Dorobantu.
Built way back in 1874, Palatul Monteoru (or Monteoru House) can be easily spotted in downtown Bucharest. Once the HQ from the Writers of Romania Union, it’s now been transformed into a vibrant arts centre, replete with live music, fairs, and exhibitions. Nice.
If you want to get your fix of even more Wednesday filming locations, then you’ll need to head to Casa Niculescu-Dorobantu, home to the rest of Nevermore’s interior shots. Another Neo-Gothic masterpiece found in Bucharest (see why Tim Burton chose this place now?).
3. Bucharest Botanical Gardens
Nevermore isn’t just about the ornate interiors. It also features a stunning greenhouse that, yep, you can visit in Romania. And where better for a lush greenhouse than the Bucharest Botanical Gardens themselves? Despite (weirdly) being located next to an industrial centre, the gardens are home for 45 acres of verdant greenery, including towering pine trees, a lily pond and a herb garden. When it’s not home to big-budget Netflix shows, locals treat this place like a park, strolling its lush lawns and admiring the tropical plants throughout the day.
Image source:Chris Abney / unsplash
4. Jericho, Vermont (but not really)
Wednesday is set in Jericho, Vermont. And that’s a real place! But for Netflix’s Wednesday, Tim Burton and the production crew decided to rebuild the entire town at the Bucharest Film Studios of Buftea.
Everything from the town square and its iconic coffee shop, to Pilgrim World, the sheriff’s house and more were built within the studios to give a slightly more unsettling twist on Vermont’s charming natural beauty. Speaking of which…those gorgeous shots by the glittering lakes? Nope, that’s not Lake Champlain. They’re shot at the lakeside spots of Brănești and Sterbei, in, you guessed it, Romania.
Wednesday season 2 filming locations
Ireland
After a smash-hit season one, the Addams family are on the lookout for a new filming destination. And the rumours are true: the creative crew set up shop in… Ireland. “Everything about Ireland fits the sensibility of the show: we have incredible woods; we have beautiful castles; we have the lush greens, the gray skies,” said Miles Millar, one of the showrunners. “There’s something magical about the light that really lends itself to the show.”
So where did Jenna Ortega and Emma Myers (and the rest of the cast, obviously) end up?
1. Charleville Castle
While many of the exterior and aerial shots of Nevermore were still filmed at Cantacuzino Castle, most of the interiors were moved to the grand and eerie Charleville Castle which has just the perfect gothic and vaulted design needed to create Wednesday’s boarding school. The castle dates back to 1798 and is surrounded by ancient oak woods – which is just the most perfect place for Wednesday to get to solving supernatural crime!
2. Holy Cross College
Also known as Clonliffe College, Holy Cross College was used in season 2 of Wednesday to portray parts of the fictional psychiatric facility Willow Hall, specifically the courtyard. The choice of filming here is a great one as the visual aesthetics of the building are similar enough to Wednesday’s style, but also different enough that it feels like a very new and distinct place.
3. Powerscourt House
We touched on the oak woods of Charleville Castle, but this 18th-century estate is throwing its hat in the ring for the best potentially ominous and eerie location for the show. The immaculate white house is a sight for sore eyes, but it’s the gardens and the redwood forests and the waterfalls that drew Wednesday’s crew here.
The hollow in the forest actually looks like the Hippogriff scene in Harry Potter (though it sadly isn’t), but here we see an elegant sword fight between cadets!
4. Trinity College
Trinity College was used very briefly as a Wednesday filming location, specifically to portray the bustling Newark Airport scenes which feature some excellent dead-pan physical comedy. There’s a lot more to see of Trinity College aside from the clinical halls the crew choose – like the gorgeous and famous library book lovers (and Normal People) fans will adore.
5. County Wicklow
Country Wicklow was used for a few Wednesday filming locations: a housing estate in Newcastle which became the Kansas City Scalper’s street, and Ashford Studios which became many other things! Fun fact about the housing estate in Newcastle, they filmed on a regular residential street and many children were filled with glee to see their front lawns transformed – how cute!
Off topic, but similar vibe: if you’re looking for an eerie destination, the sculpture park of Victor’s Way is perfect. Some of the intricate sculptures throughout will definitely have a shiver running up your spine. Wednesday would approve.
6. Clermont House
As a sub-plot of Wednesday, Wednesday’s brother Pugsley is busy taking care of and raising a zombie named Slurp. He is kept on the grounds of Nevermore in a shed, which is actually located on the grounds of Clermont House. Funnily enough, or maybe for this exact reason, Clermont House was once a school itself!
Now the 18th-century mansion, with its distinct columns and Palladian style, is open for visits to the public, sprawling gardens included.
