Since 2011, millions of people in the UK and abroad have been infatuated with the fantasy realm of Westeros. From the Game of Thrones original run to the spin-offs House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the production value of each episode has remained remarkably high, particularly because of the locations selected.
All perfectly fit the fantastical setting, from the outlandish and distinct building designs to the castles and rolling fields ready for battle. Of course, a fair bit of visual effects work goes into fully realising what we see on screen, but the locations used still do a lot of the heavy lifting.
While many of these are in far-flung countries like Croatia and Iceland, making them quite expensive to visit, some of the most iconic can be found right here in the UK.
Castles, Quarries, and Epic Landscapes
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In the UK, there are two main areas for shooting Westeros-based shows. For those of us in England and Wales, the closest spots are seen in the House of the Dragon spin-off show. Gwynedd is home to a bunch of iconic sights in the show.
Dragonstone Castle was set around Yr Eifl Quarry, and Dinorwig Quarry’s grand look over Llyn Padarn became the setting for Harrenhal. Also in Gwynedd is part of the Eryri National Park, Ogwen Valley, which also hosted filming for the show. Further north, Anglesey is also a hot spot for House of the Dragon.
Penmon Point, which is a very popular destination for Trwyn Du Lighthouse, is rumoured to be High Tide, following fans spotting Steve Toussaint filming his scenes there. Beaumaris Beach, Porth y Cwch, and Llanddwyn Beach also played host to the film crews, with the beaches being perfect for any getaway regardless of finding Westeros.
For locations from Game of Thrones and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, you’ll need to get yourself over to Northern Ireland. The very zoomed-in spin-off show took place at Cave Hill, Galboly, Hen Mountain, Leitrim Lodge, and Glenarm Castle, with many of these spots being distinctly rural.
The original show roamed around Northern Ireland a lot more, with its popularity allowing for an official studio tour venue to set up in Banbridge. Beyond this very convenient spot, you can visit Pyke by going to Ballintoy Harbour, try to find dire wolf pups in Tollymore Forest Park, and wade through the Dothraki Sea at the Glens of Antrim.
Unprecedented Success Inspires Tourism
Source: Pixabay
The Game of Thrones franchise has gone from popular, but unfinished, book series to a world-conquering media property. Not only does it dominate the headlines in TV circles, but it’s also a continued force in online gaming. Among the slots found at the casino online, you’ll spot the official Game of Thrones games.
Game of Thrones and the new Jackpot King version of the slot feature all of the houses and some of the iconic settings from the show to immerse players in the experience. Getting the visuals aligned is a big part of what makes them so popular because the aesthetic has always been such a big selling point of the show.
After all, tens of millions of people continued to watch Game of Thrones after the writing began to degrade, and the same is true of what’s happening with House of the Dragon now. It’s not a surprise that the shows regularly win awards for best visuals in their years of release.
Of course, being filmed in real locations has inspired a specialized tourism sector. Much like how New Zealand benefited greatly from the filming of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, those wanting to experience Westeros come to Northern Ireland. By 2019, it was reported that one in six of all tourists to Northern Ireland came for the show.
If you want to base your trip around the most popular fantasy realm right now, you can’t go wrong with a quick visit to Wales or Northern Ireland.
