where is the little mermaid set
The original Little Mermaid fairytale is set off the coast of Denmark, and the famous bronze mermaid statue sits in Copenhagen as a tribute to that origin. The 1989 Disney animated film, however, uses a fictional seaside kingdom inspired visually by Dubrovnik, Croatia, rather than explicitly naming Denmark on screen.
Quick Scoop: Where Itâs Set
- Hans Christian Andersenâs story: coastal waters of Denmark , rooted in the authorâs Danish background.
- Realâworld landmark: the Little Mermaid statue on a rock by the waterside in Copenhagen.
- Disney animated movie: a fantasy kingdom whose production inspiration was Dubrovnik, Croatia on the Adriatic Sea.
| Version | Inâstory location | Realâworld inspiration |
|---|---|---|
| Hans Christian Andersen tale | Unspecified sea off a European coast, traditionally read as Denmark | [1][7]Authorâs homeland and Danish coasts | [7][1]
| Disney 1989 animated film | Atlantica under the sea and an unnamed human seaside kingdom | [1]Dubrovnik, Croatia, named by Disney as a key visual inspiration | [7]
In fan forums, youâll see debates claiming everything from Denmark to Spain or Italy, but Disneyâs own travelâinspiration list points directly at Dubrovnik for the animated setting.
LiveâAction 2023 Note
The 2023 liveâaction remake keeps the same broad âCaribbeanâflavored coastal kingdomâ vibe in the story, but most aboveâwater scenes were filmed around Sardinia, Italy , using its beaches and cliffside villages as the standâin backdrop.
TL;DR: Story roots = Denmark; animated movie backdrop = Dubrovnikâinspired fantasy kingdom; 2023 remake filmed mainly in Sardinia, Italy.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.
