Hogsmeade Village, the only all-wizarding settlement in Britain, also serves as a getaway location for third years and above in attendance at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was founded by Hengist of Woodcroft and consists mainly of one picturesque high street filled with a variety of different shops, notably the Three Broomsticks and Zonko's Joke Shop.
The little village also features relatively prominently in the Harry Potter franchise. It was here that Harry first used the Marauder's Map, it was here that Sirius took refuge in order to be close with harry, it was here that Harry returned with a weakened Dumbeldore in the moments before his death, and it was here that Harry was rescued by Aberforth and so learned the truth about his brother Albus. But most importantly, it is here that you will learn 10 hidden details about the wizarding village.
Hogsmade Sports A Very Scottish Design
While the beautiful landscapes of Scotland itself are featured prominently throughout the films, Hogsmeade itself is considered by production designer Stuart Craig to be "definitely Scottish."
The buildings throughout Hogsmeade are made of the same granite of the mountains that ring Hogwarts, and the buildings all feature steeply pitched roofs and long, skinny chimneys, which is an architectural distinction that is considered to be notably Scottish. The roofs also feature step gables, which are also known as 'crow steps,' and are a common feature of Scottish construction.
Diagon Alley?
If you ever looked at Hogsmeade and though that it looked somewhat similar to Diagon Alley, your eyes do not deceive you. While some CGI was used to complete the image of Hogsmeade, the base of the shots utilized a highly redesigned version of the original Diagon Alley set.
The redesign was done so well, however, that it is very difficult to find any similarities between the two wizarding shopping centers; just another mark of the high-quality and thorough work the Potter set designers put into production.
Honeydukes Was Designed To Be Colorful
One of the most popular fixtures of the Hogsmeade high-street is Honeydukes, the legendary sweet shop. The store boasts all sorts of magical candies: Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, Acid Pops, Blood-Flavored Lollipops, Cockroach Clusters, Fizzing Whizbees, and much, much more.
In deg Honeydukes, the decor was meant to reflect the products; this is why the place is decked out in bright greens and pinks. Beyond that, though it is hard to spot, the director of The Prisoner of Azkaban (Alfonso Cuaron) added a few traditional Mexican sugar skulls.
The Hog's Head's Namesake Is A Practical Effect
Though this bar was certainly off the beaten track, boasting a darker sort of character than the brighter Three Broomsticks, the Hog's Head was featured in a few prominent moments in Harry's story. One, of course, was when he first established Dumbledore's Army. The other was during a narrow escape from the Death Eaters in The Deathly Hallows.
The pub's namesake, a massive hog's head, boasted extremely intricate detail. Every hair on the beast's head was inserted by hand, and the head itself was animatronic; the eyes and nostrils move, and it drools profusely.
Hogsmeade Station Is (Sort Of) Real
Hogsmeade Station serves as the last stop for the Hogwarts Express. It is here that students would disembark the train and board the (apparently) horseless carriages which would lead them to the school.
Much of the franchise was filmed on location: Gringotts, Hogwarts Castle, and The Burrow. Hogsmeade Station is no exception to this rule. These scenes were shot at Goathland Station, which is located in North London.
It's Always Christmas Time In Hogsmade
When deg Hogsmeade Village, the designers made a decision that the village stands above the treeline, putting it somewhere in the mountains. This would explain why it has a permanent layer of snow on the ground and why it seems like the holidays never end here.
But far from making the village seem uninviting, Stuart Craig, the production designer, explained that the constant snow gives a "jolly" feel to the village: "It's cold and rugged on the outside, but every shop window is warm and inviting, full of magical things and Butterbeer and great sweets at Honeydukes."
Hogsmade Was Home To Goblin Revolutionaries
While they're never the story's focus, Goblin Rebellions are mentioned several times throughout the series. This was mostly done for world building and to provide evidence about the fact that Goblins can take care of themselves.
One of the more brutal Goblin Revolutions, the 1612 Rebellion, actually took place in Hogsmeade village. In fact, one of the local inns (possibly the Three Broomsticks) was used as headquarters for this rebellion.
The Shrieking Shack's Set Was More Complex Than You'd Think
"The Shrieking Shack's supposed to be the most severely haunted building in Britain."
The ramshackle house was built when Remus Lupin first started at Hogwarts, and the terrible screaming that echoed from the house every full moon led the villagers to believe it was haunted by a fierce sort of ghost. Surprisingly, this was one of the more complicated sets created for The Prisoner of Azkaban. The set was built inside a massive steel frame complete with hydraulics, which allowed the building to be titled back and forth.
The Village Is Probably A Thousand Years Old
Though there is no specified date that reveals when exactly the village was first founded, it is assumed that Hogsmeade came to be around the same time as Hogwarts school.
With this in mind, it's safe to assume that the village is decidedly ancient, being approximately a thousand years old. This makes sense, as Hogsmeade serves as something of a college town; it is not uncommon for little towns to sprout up around massive schools.
The Movies Added New Shops
Hogsmeade does not get a ton of attention past The Prisoner of Azkaban. The filmmakers added a bunch of shops that were not present explicitly in the books. For example, there is Dogweed and Deathcap (a herbology shop), Dominic Maestro's Music Shop (a hairdressing salon), a sporting good store, a book shop, a grocery store, a local branch of Ollivanders and the headquarters of the Wizarding Wireless Network.
"They make a fuss about Hogsmeade, but I assure you, Harry, it's not all it's cracked up to be. All right, the sweetshop's rather good, and Zonko's Joke Shop's frankly dangerous, and yes, the Shrieking Shack's always worth a visit, but really, Harry, apart from that, you're not missing anything."
