Itzurun Beach, Zumaia, Spain
Spain features heavily is the latest installment of Game of
Thrones. Take the last scenes of season seven's initial episode: Daenerys lands
at Dragonstone—Dothraki warriors, Varys, and Tyrion in tow—after seasons spent
across the Narrow Sea. While the nearby San Juan de Gaztelugatxe stands in for
the castle's winding entry stairs, it's Itzurun Beach in the Basque Country
that serves as the dragon queen's entry point to Westeros.
Alcázar of Seville, Spain (Dorne's Sunspear)
The crown jewel of the series's Andalusian filming locations
is the Alcázar of Seville, the lavish royal palace at the center of the city.
Though the palace is Seville's biggest tourist attraction, the cast and crew
got permission to shut half of it down to film crucial scenes set in Dorne, the
southernmost part of the kingdom of Westeros. The Alcázar serves as the setting
for Dorne's Water Palace of Sunspear, the verdant summer home of the royal
Martell family.
Old Town, Dubrovnik, Croatia (King's Landing)
Game of Thrones has had a lasting impact on tourism in
Dubrovnik, the stand-in for King's Landing since season two. Visitors can
recreate Cersei's walk of shame down the steps in front of the Church of St.
Ignatius of Loyola or meander through the Pile Gate, which stands in for the
entrance to King's Landing's Old Town.
Ballintoy Harbor, Northern Ireland (Iron Islands)
Ballintoy stands in as the harbor of the Iron Islands, where
Theon Greyjoy, err, reconnects with his sister, Yara. We're sure to see a
little more of the rocky Northern Irish coastline in the last two seasons as
the Greyjoys deal with their own throne usurping complications.
Castillo de Zafra, Spain (Tower of Joy)
The Tower of Joy—which plays a pivotal role in Lyanna
Stark's much alluded storyline—sits between Madrid and Barcelona.
Grjótagjá, Iceland (Jon Snow's Love Cave)
Near northeastern Iceland's Lake Mývatn, Grjótagjá is a
small volcanic cave where water in the spring can top 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
It's also home to Ygritte (RIP) and Jon Snow's subterranean love scene.
Castillo de Almodóvar del Río, Spain (Highgarden)
Another Spanish castle made an appearance in season seven,
standing in for the Tyrell stronghold Highgarden. Located about 15 miles
outside Córdoba off-screen, the on-screen castle quickly finds itself under
Lannister rule only minutes after we see the striking Moorish build for the
first time.
Sibenik, Croatia (Braavos)
Though the House of Black and White was created on a sound
stage, much of Arya Stark's Braavos explorations were filmed in the
stone-walled alleyways and plazas in the old town of Šibenik, Croatia.
Vatnajökull, Iceland (Beyond the Wall)
East of Reykjavik, you'll find Vatnajökull, Europe's largest
glacier. You can see it on screen in the sweeping scenes of life (and White
Walkers) Beyond the Wall.
Minčeta Tower, Dubrovnik, Croatia (House of the Undying)
The highest point along Dubrovnik's city walls, this tower
stands in for the exterior of the House of the Undying in Qarth during season
two. Daenerys Targaryen goes looking for her dragons inside but is kidnapped by
the warlocks who, not knowing any better, get fried by the one and only Drogon.
Magheramorne Quarry, Nothern Ireland (Castle Black &
North of the Wall)
In season one, Magheramorne in Northern Ireland was the site
for Castle Black, with help from plenty of CGI to make the wall look 700 feet
tall; in season two, it stood in for the battlements at King's Landing. In
season five, Magheramorne welcomed a newly constructed fishing village north of
the Wall—where the Wildlings live, zombie-like White Walkers roam, and all
rules and loyalties are forgotten. The "game of thrones" doesn't
apply up here.
Trsteno, Croatia (King's Landing Palace Gardens)
You can perfectly picture Olenna Tyrell holding court in the
King's Landing palace gardens, can't you. What you're actually seeing is the
Trsteno Arboretum just about 20 minutes north of Dubrovnik.
Bardenas Reales, Spain (Dothraki Sea)
No, this isn't another planet. The 104,000-acre Bardenas
Reales are the Spanish badlands, made up of clay, chalk and sandstone that's
been molded by centuries of water and wind. Parts of the steppe offer up a
little vegetation, perfect for the Dothraki Sea, which is also filmed in
Ireland (Glens of Antrim) for the more lush scenes in season six.
Dark Hedges, Ballymoney, Northern Ireland (King's Road)
Planted in the 18th century, the beech trees along this
avenue in Northern Ireland have grown together to form a mysterious hedge like
nothing we, or the Game of Thrones locations scouts, have ever seen. It serves
as the King's Road in a few episodes through the seasons, but you can actually
drive on it off screen, if you're on a road trip from Belfast to the Giant's
Causeway.
Ait Ben Haddou, Morocco (Yunkai)
You'll find Yunkai, one of the Slaver's Bay city-states that
Daenerys unchains with the help of the Unsullied, in the real life Ait Ben
Haddou. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the 17th century city sits between Marrakech
and the Sahara and was a stopping point for many a caravan heading in or out of
the desert.
Osuna, Spain (Daznak's Pit)
About an hour east of Seville is the small historic town of
Osuna (population: about 18,000), which opened up its bullring to host a
gladiator-style scene where Daenerys settles a score with Meereen slave
masters. It was said to take 12 days to shoot this one scene—practically a
blockbuster film's schedule—and required some 500 extras.
