I am a big fan of Game of Thrones. I know it’s a show with fictional locations, however the film locations are definitely real places.
After searching the internet, I came across some Game of Thrones film locations that you may want to add to your bucket list. They are certainly on mine!
Godafoss (Goðafoss)
If you aren’t aware of Iceland being the inspiring location for the landscape beyond “The Wall”, then “you know nothing Jon Snow.” Sorry, I just had to pop that in there for my amusement!
In Game of Thrones, life beyond “the Wall” is just as wild as the territories before it.
Godafoss (Waterfall of the gods) is one of the many Icelandic locations used in the series. This spectacular waterfall falls from a height of 12 meters over a width of 30 meters.
The waterfall played a role in Iceland’s history when Christianity became the country’s official religion. In the year 1000, Lawspeaker Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði threw his statues of the Norse gods into the waterfall after converting to Christianity.
Dubrovnik
If I had to choose one Game of Thrones film location to visit, it would be Dubrovnik.
Dubrovnik is probably on every Game of Thrones fan list to visit. I admittedly did not know about Dubrovnik until Game of Thrones came along and I’ve wanted to visit ever since.
If you didn’t know, Dubrovnik is used for exterior shots of the fictional capital, King’s Landing.
There are so many scenes in Dubrovnik’s Old Town that were used in the show including other cities in Croatia. For example, Minčeta Tower was used for the exterior of Qarth’s House of Undying where Daenerys went searching for her stolen dragons in season 2.
In season 5 was the Walk of Atonement when Cersei was forced to remove her clothes and endure a humiliating experience.
The Dark Hedges
Best known as the Kings Road on the show, this natural wonder of eerily twisted beech trees has become a Game of Thrones icon.
The Dark Hedges are found in Ballymoney in County Antrim of Northern Ireland. I can see why the producers were enchanted by this mystical road.
The beech trees were planted in the 18th century by the Stuart family to line the road leading to their home, Gracehill mansion.
Osuna Bullring
Osuna’s bullring in Spain was a key setting for the fictional city, Meereen’s fighting pit.
It was shown in season 5 where one of the most epic sequences took place. Yes, there were dragons too!
The bullring was built in the early 1900s and can seat up to 6,500 people.
You obviously will not find dragons there but you will find a few bulls if you attend its bullfights. While we have never attended a bullfight and do respect cultural traditions, I will say I don’t think we ever will.
Alcázar of Seville
This royal palace in Seville, Spain was used for many scenes depicting the fictional city of Drone. While Dorne isn’t a real place, the water gardens and palace seen on the show are real.
It was built in 913 as a fort which was later ruled by the Moorish rulers in the 11th century and captured by Christian monarchs who used it as their residence. Today, this heavenly fortress is used by Spain’s royal family whenever they visit Seville.
These are just a small percent of real locations used in the Game of Thrones television series.
I hope to visit most of them someday, in the meantime I’ll sit back and fulfill my wanderlust watching one of the best series in the history of television!
Do you watch Game of Thrones? Have you visited any of its film locations? Comment below and share this post with your friends!
Photos source: Pixabay.com
