Game of Thrones is full of stunning, exotic locations. Although some of the scenes were shot in sets, but majority of the shooting was done in real life locations. If you are a GoT fan, then you should definitely visit these following places to relive the experience:
1. NORTHERN IRELAND
Most of the scenes in Westeros has actually been shot in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is an extremely rainy country and on an average there are around 300 rainy days every year ; hence it was the perfect location for the not so sunny Winterfell. If you want to walk along the same grounds as the famous Stark family, then you can head over to the Downpatrick, County Down. You can also visit the Caves of Cushendun, where Melisandre gave birth to that creepy, shadow figure which eventually killed Renly.
2. ICELAND
Remember the adventures of Jon Snow beyond the Wall in the 2nd season? Iceland served as the location to all those stunning scenes. The producer has clearly told that they wanted to make the locations realistic instead of just photo shopping some mountains or ice. Hence, you can visit all these locations, provided you can bear the cold. Full of ice and volcanoes, Iceland is truly a country of ” Fire and Ice”. The filming locations included Europe’ s largest ice cap Vatnajokull Glacier and also Lake Myvatn. Lake Myvatn is a beautiful lake full of lava formations on its sides. Although it is a protected place, but tourists can access it. The Government of Iceland also offers a four day tour of all the GoT locations.
3. MALTA
The climate of Northern Ireland was not suitable for the shooting of King’s Landing. King’s Landing was shown as a sunny, bright place; hence the producers decided to go to Malta to shoot for the first season. Mdina, the capital of Malta is an extremely beautiful, well maintained, historical city. The historical buildings with their medieval look was ideal for the shooting of King’s Landing. Some dramatic scenes were shot at the local monuments such as Verdala Palace and Pjazza Mesquita. You can also take a short boat trip and visit the small island near Malta, known as Gozo. This was the place where the wedding of Daenerys and Khal Drogo was shot.
4. CROATIA
Croatia served as the filming location of the King’s Landing from the 2nd season. Because it is a seaside walled city, it proved to be the ideal location. The producers have also utilized the surrounding waters very well to shoot the famous Battle of Blackwater. Some of the areas in Qarth were also shot in some parts of Croatia, like the nearby island of Lokrum. Lokrum is also believed to be cursed and is the ideal place to stay for all brave tourists. But the main attraction in Croatia is the Dubrovnik’s Gravac Park. This park served as the location for the infamous Purple Wedding ceremony.
5. MOROCCO
Daenerys’ adventures in the 3rd season were shot in Morocco. You should visit this place to see Ait Benhaddou, a famous historical city over there. It is a World Heritage Site and represented the city of Yunkai, visited by the Mother of Dragons. It is an extremely famous place, and has also been used to shot famous films like ” Gladiator”. You can also visit Essaouira in Western Morocco which represented the city of Astapor. It is actually a very lively city, full of historical monuments and has a rich culture.
