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If you’re a fan of Game of Thrones, you might be wondering where the show is filmed. Here’s a look at some of the filming locations for the hit HBO series.
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Introduction
Although much of the television series Game of Thrones is filmed in Belfast, Northern Ireland, locations in Croatia, Iceland, Malta, Morocco, and Spain are also featured. The showrunners used seven principal filming locations for the first season. For the second season, they added two new locations in Iceland. For the third season, they added three new locations in Croatia and Morocco. And for the fourth and fifth seasons, they added several new locations in Croatia and Spain.
In addition to the regular filming locations used for each season, the showrunners have also occasionally filmed scenes in other countries when it was logistically necessary or advantageous to do so. For instance, scenes set north of The Wall were actually filmed in Iceland during all eight seasons of the show.
The following is a list of the principal filming locations used for Game of Thrones, organized by location and season.
-Belfast, Northern Ireland (Seasons 1-8)
-Croatia (Seasons 2-5)
-Iceland (Seasons 2-4)
-Malta (Season 1)
-Morocco (Season 3)
-Spain (Seasons 4-5)
The North
Game of Thrones is an American HBO fantasy television series created for cable network by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. It is an adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire, George R. R. Martin’s series of fantasy novels, the first of which is A Game of Thrones. The show was filmed in Belfast and elsewhere in Northern Ireland, Canada, Croatia, Iceland, Malta, Morocco, Scotland, Spain, and the United States.
The North is the largest region of Westeros and it was where most of the story took place in the early seasons. The region is lush and green with many forests, such as those around Winterfell, as well as rugged hills and mountains, such as the Mountains of the Moon. Production for the pilot episode took place in Northern Ireland while subsequent episodes were filmed throughout Scotland and Iceland.
The Iron Islands
The Iron Islands is the filming location for the Greyjoys’ home of Pyke. It’s a remote archipelago off the west coast of Westeros, characterized by harsh landscapes and rough seas.
In real life, the Iron Islands are actually the Malin Head peninsula in County Donegal, Ireland. The rocky coastline and misty skies create a suitably foreboding atmosphere for the treacherous Greyjoys.
The Riverlands
The Riverlands are located in the central part of Westeros. The main filming locations for the Riverlands are in Northern Ireland, Croatia, and Iceland.
In Northern Ireland, the Riverlands scenes were filmed in several different locations. The countryside scenes were filmed in one location, while the town and castle scenes were filmed in another location.
Croatia was used for several of the river-related scenes. Some of these scenes were filmed on the real-life location of the city of Dubrovnik, while others were filmed on a set that was built to resemble Dubrovnik.
Iceland was used for several of the forest-related scenes. Some of these scenes were filmed on the real-life location of Thingvellir National Park, while others were filmed on a set that was built to resemble Thingvellir National Park.
The Westerlands
The Westerlands are one of the constituent regions of Westeros and were formerly controlled by House Lannister of Casterly Rock. It is located west of the River Trident and north of the Reach, on the western coast of Westeros. Its principal settlements are Casterly Rock, Lannisport and Fair Isle. The region’s motto is “Hear Me Roar!”
The Crownlands
The Crownlands is the region of Westeros that surrounds King’s Landing, the capital of the Seven Kingdoms. It is bordered by the Riverlands to the north, across the Red Fork of the Trident; the Stormlands to the northeast, across Blackwater Bay; and Dorne to the east, across the narrow sea. To the south and southwest are Reach and the Westerlands respectively. It consists of several hundred miles of coastline along Blackwater Bay and Sunset Sea, as well as several inland rivers: Rosby, Ruttledge and Wendwater. The terrain is varied, from wetlands and woodlands to hills and mountains.
The Reach
The Reach is one of the coastal regions of Westeros. It is the largest region of Westeros, located to the south of Westerlands and stretching from Crackclaw Point in the west to the Dornish Marches in the east. The Reach is ruled by House Tyrell from their castle-seat of Highgarden. Southron lords holding fiefs from House Tyrell swear fealty to their liege lord, while those sworn directly to House Tyrell itself are known as bannermen.
Dorne
Dorne is the southernmost region of Westeros. It is ruled by House Martell of Sunspear, and its capital is Sunspear. Dorne is separated from the rest of Westeros by the Red Mountains, and it has a warm climate. The Dornishmen are known for their fiery temperament and their love of spicy food.
The filming locations for Dorne include the Alcazar Palace in Seville, Spain, and the Bardenas Reales Natural Park in Navarre, Spain.
Essos
Essos is the eastern continent of the world of Game of Thrones. It is located east of Westeros, across the Narrow Sea. Many of the show’s characters come from or travel to Essos during the course of the series.
George R. R. Martin, the author of the A Song of Ice and Fire books on which Game of Thrones is based, has said that Essos is loosely inspired by real-world locations such as Byzantium, Persia, Arabia, and Mongolia.
Conclusion
Game of Thrones is filmed in a number of different locations, including Belfast, Croatia, Iceland, and Morocco.
