Three Wishes for Cinderella: the real filming locations

Václav Vorlíček’s fairy tale from 1973, a co-production of Prague’s Barrandov Studios and East Germany’s DEFA, is a Christmas tradition not only in Czechia but also in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Norway. The exteriors were shot at Švihov Castle and its surroundings, at Moritzburg Castle near Dresden and in the snowy Bohemian Forest; the interiors at Barrandov and Babelsberg studios.

Here is 1 monument from the film listed on Pamatky.cz, plus the other filming locations. We use no stills from the film, only photos of the places today.

Švihov and surroundings (Klatovy region)

• Švihov Castle in the film: the stepmother’s estate documented (page in Czech)
  Václav Vorlíček filmed the castle courtyard and farm buildings as the estate where Cinderella lives with her stepmother and Dora. “I needed a wealthy farmstead,” the director recalled. The crew added a wooden porch, a gate, a well and a dovecote.

Other filming locations

• The pond near Mezihoří, close to Švihov – where the stepmother’s sleigh overturns into the water. A fairy-tale trail leads there from the castle.
• Moritzburg Castle near Dresden – the ball scenes and the staircase on the east side where Cinderella loses her slipper. A winter exhibition about the film is held there; the first one, in 2009/2010, drew more than 150,000 visitors.
• The Bohemian Forest – winter forest scenes.
• Barrandov (Prague) and Babelsberg (Potsdam) studios – most interiors.

When to visit Švihov

The castle is closed in winter; the season starts in April. The White Tower houses a four-floor exhibition about the film, and two photo panels in the courtyard show film scenes right where they were shot. Check current opening hours and any winter events at hrad-svihov.cz. Švihov lies near Klatovy, less than 40 km from Furth im Wald in Bavaria.

Pamatky.cz is not affiliated with Barrandov Studios or DEFA. Updated 29 October 2026.