Incredible Locations of Game of Thrones

1. DUBROVNIK, CROATIA – KING’S LANDING

The most beautiful kingdom which rules the whole of Westeros is the King’s landing. Whenever you are seeing this city actually you are looking at Dubrovnik, Croatia. The cities have narrow streets and orange featured wall. All these are properly featured in the filming of this show. Dubrovnik itself is famous for its wall and is considered as one of the most beautiful walled cities in the world. The walls of this city were originally built in 14th and 15th century. The walls had never breached and they withstand the major earthquake in the 17th century. Game of Thrones tours is available in the city where many tourists and the show lovers specially visit.

The inevitable charm and beauty of today’s Dubrovnik lies in its long and rich history. Over the many centuries of its existence, Dubrovnik has established itself as an independent, powerful and influential city. Its specific geographic position helped in the development of successful merchandising and maritime tradition. Dubrovnik has always been valued as a safe harbour, shielded by the group of islands rising in front of it, but also being intersection of the important maritime and trading routes. Its fascinating history is filled with barbaric invasions, powerful rivals and blossoming tradition of arts and sciences.

2. THE DARK HEDGES, NORTHERN IRELAND –THE ROAD FROM KING’S LANDING

The Dark Hedges, Northern Ireland is an avenue of beech trees along Bregagh Road. These trees form an atmospheric tunnel that has been used in the famous HBO’s television series Game of Thrones. This place became a tourist attraction after it was filmed into this show. This place is what we see as the king’s road from Iron Throne. This region is one of the most photographed places of Northern Ireland. The same location is also used in 2017 Transformer film “The Last Knight”.

3. VATNAJOKULL NATIONAL PARK, ICELAND – NORTH OF THE WALL

The white beautiful icy land is called the North of the wall. This place is actually Vatnajokull National Park in Iceland. No other place could be comparable to this for shooting icy scenes. Vatnajokull is Europe’s largest glacier. It has large endless ice plains. This location is best suited for the North of the wall scene. Vatnajokull National Park is one of the three national parks in Iceland. The uniqueness of this park lies in the variety of landscape features made by combined forces of rivers, glacial ice and volcanic activities.

4. THINGVELLIR NATIONAL PARK, ICELAND – PATH TO THE EYRIE AND ARYA’S AND SANDOR CLEGANE’S JOURNEY

The narrow path full of beautiful scenes leading to Eyrie is unique scenes featured from Thingvellir National Park. This park is located on south-western Iceland. This place is UNESCO World Heritage site with historical and cultural importance. It too has geological importance. This place is also the place of oldest parliament of the world. The Eurasian and North American plate is separated by the Mid Atlantic Ridge which passes right through the Thingvellir.

Shortly after the year 900, men started to think about putting together a general assembly for the settlers of Iceland. The foundation of the Icelandic parliament is said to be the founding of the nation of Iceland, and the first parliamentary proceedings in the summer of 930 laid ground for a common cultural heritage and national identity. The Althing at Thingvellir was Iceland's supreme legislative and judicial authority from its establishment in 930 until 1262.

Logberg (Law Rock) was the focal point of the Althing and a natural platform for holding speeches. The Inauguration and dissolution of the assembly took place at the Logberg, where rulings made by the Law Council were announced, the calendar was confirmed, legal actions were brought and other announcements made which concerned the entire nation. Anyone attending the assembly was entitled to present his case on important issues from the Logberg.

The Althing was Iceland's legislative and chief judicial authority for the duration of the Commonwealth, until 1262. Executive power was in the hands of the chieftains and parties to individual cases at each time. This proved to be quite an adequate arrangement for as long as the balance of power remained, but flaws emerged when it was disrupted. The final decades of the Commonwealth were characterized by clashes between chieftain families, which resulted in Iceland becoming part of the Norwegian crown. Executive power was strengthened under this new order, while legislative and judicial authority remained in the hands of the Althing but was gradually transferred to the Norwegian and later Danish rulers until the King of Denmark became an absolute monarch of Iceland in 1662.

5. MINCETA TOWER, DUBROVNIK, CROATIA – HOUSE OF THE UNDYING

How can you forget the famous House of Undying? The Minceta Tower situated in Dubrovnik Croatia is featured as the ‘House of Undying’. In Dubrovnik, the walls of this tower are very famous. House of Undying has a special role in the show. It is a long tower with invisible openings and is surrounded by trees which provide shade in the tower. In season 2 we see the House of Undying when Daenerys, Ser Jorah and Kovarro reach the House in search of the dragons.

One of the most prominent and most visited Dubrovnik’s protecting towers as well as the highest point of its defence system, is Minčeta Tower.

It was named after the Mencetic family who owned the ground which the tower was built upon. And it was originally built in 1319 by a local builder Nicifor Ranjina, as a strong four-sided fort after the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire (1453).

After the fall of Bosnia which followed soon in 1463, the tower went through reconstruction.

Michelozzo di Bartolomeo Michelozzi, an Italian architect and sculptor was then called to work on further fortifying processes. He did so by using new warfare technique where by building a new round tower and then joining it to the new system of low scarp walls fortified the pre-existing tower even more.

After Michelozzi abruptly ended cooperation with the Dubrovnik government as he got offended for of not getting approval for his plans on the reconstruction of Rector’s Palace, another architect, Juraj of Dalmatia (Juraj Dalmatinac) from Zadar was hired.

6. AZURE WINDOW, MALTA – DAENERYS AND DROGO’S WEDDING

Someone can easily guess this place if he is well aware of the world’s most beautiful natural arches. You are really correct if you are thinking that location to be Azure window of Malta. It is a natural arch made of limestone exactly located on Gozo island. The height of the arch is 28 metres. It was created when two limestones were collapsed by the sea erosion. Small Rock parts use to fall from under the arch and is expected to fall within few years. Many tourists enjoy swimming and skydiving around the arch.

7. DOUNE CASTLE, SCOTLAND – WINTERFELL

Winterfell is a castle shown in first episode of Game of Thrones. Though the exact towers of Winterfell were computer generated, the idea was taken from the Doune castle of Scotland. It was built in the early 13th century. This place is already featured in some other TV series such as the Monty Python and the Holy grail. After the First episode of Game of Thrones this place which was Winterfell was replaced by Castle Ward Estate in Northern Ireland, south of Belfast. It is one of the most popular Game of Thrones locations in the world.

8. BALLINTOY HARBOR, NORTHERN IRELAND – PYKE AND THE IRON ISLANDS

Small Harbor of Ballintoy and a beautiful fishing village in the County Antrim, Northern Ireland was featured as port of Pyke in the Iron Island. We see this place when Theon Greyjoy returns home after a long torture and when he departs from that place. The island is actually the site of the castle which serves as the seat of House Greyjoy, the ruling house of the Iron Islands and the town of Transport.

9. AIT BENHADDOU, MOROCCO – YUNKAI AND PENTOS

One of the most popular Game of Thrones locations, Yunkai is also known as a Yellow city. It is a fortified city of Ait Benhaddou located in a hill about 100 km southeast of Marrakech, in Morocco. This city is also a UNESCO World Heritage site and is already featured in many movies like Mummy, Gladiator, Alexander and Babel. So it was not astonishing if Game of Thrones had chosen it. During Daenerys Targaryen’s journey, the city was used for both the city of Yunkai and the city of Pentos.

10. ESSAOUIRA, MOROCCO – ASTAPOR

It is a place where Daenerys Targaryen got her army of unsullied soldiers. Astapor is actually a home of unsullied and eunuch slave soldiers and considered to be world’s finest infantry troop. The city is also known as Red city. The city which is shown as Astapor is the beautiful coastal town of Essaouira, Morocco. This city has a population of 70,000 peoples. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The peoples and things that belong to Astapor are called as ‘Astapori’.