âGame of Thronesâ might be best known for its intricate plots, memorable characters and stunning battle scenes, but the hit HBO show has also stirred up a tourism boom.
Fans of the show are visiting countries across Europe and Africa to see some of the fantasy worldâs most iconic locales for themselves. Some of the showâs scenes were filmed in places that were already bustling with tourists, while others are bringing traffic to parts of the world not normally accustomed to having so many visitors.
Travel expert Natalie Preddie joined CTVâs Your Morning on Monday, to look at five destinations for any true âGame of Thronesâ enthusiast.
Dubrovnik, Croatia
The real-world stand-in for Kingâs Landing from Season 2 onwards, Dubrovnik has played host to such unforgettable moments as the jousting tournament on Joffrey Baratheonâs name day and Cersei Lannisterâs âwalk of shameâ through the Westerosi capital.
Dubrovnik isnât nearly as vicious and bloodthirsty as Kingâs Landing, though. The odds a modern visitor will witness that sort of gruesome spectacle as theyâre taking part in are slim to none.
âItâs a beautiful destination,â Preddie said.
The influx of GoT fans has led some of Dubrovnik residents to complain about overcrowding and busyness. UNESCO has even threatened that the cityâs status as a World Heritage Site could be at risk because of the tourism surge.
Osuna, Spain
When the producers of âGame of Thronesâ needed a large stadium for a key scene, they .
The southern city of Osuna hosts a bullring used in the show as the Meereen fighting pit. The pit was a key plot point through Season 5, culminating in Daenerys Targaryen agreeing to reopen the pit and being the victim of an unsuccessful assassination attempt there by the Sons of the Harpy.
Preddie recommends that any GoT fan interested in seeing Osuna also include the larger city of Seville on their itinerary.
About an hourâs drive from Osuna, Seville stood in for the southern region of Dorne. The Alcazar of Seville royal palace was used as Sunspear, the seat of the powerful House Martell.
Kirkjufell, Iceland
Also known as Church Mountain in our world, Kirkjufellâs peak goes by the name Arrowhead Mountain in âGame of Thrones.â
It was used in the seventh season of the show as the mountain where Jon Snow and other characters captured a zombie-like wight in order to prove the existence of the creatures to southern skeptics.
have been used as filming locations for many of the showâs northern settings, including a cave where Jon Snow and Ygritte shared a romantic encounter, and a park where Brienne of Tarth fought the Hound.
Ait Benhaddou, Morocco
Another UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ait Benhaddou also plays a major role in the history of Essos, the more mysterious of the two continents in the show.
The fortified ancient village was transformed by the showâs producers into Yunkai, a Slaverâs Bay community that Daenerys Targaryen invaded as part of her quest to free all slaves in Essos.
According to one report, Ait Benhaddou is the âGame of Thronesâ location of all, behind only Krka National Park in Croatia.
Preddie suggests anyone thinking about a trip to Morocco combine Ait Benhaddou with a visit to Marrakech, which has no direct connections to the show but is only a short drive away.
Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Last on our list is the country that is likely home to the most recognizable âGame of Thronesâ settings of all.
Northern Ireland was quick to adopt the newfound fame the show brought to some of its oldest buildings and prettiest landscapes, with often used as the base camp from which tourists could explore some of the more remote destinations.
âThere are lots and lots of tours out of Belfast where you can look at rolling hills, meadows, where they filmed a lot of scenes,â Preddie said.
Famous GoT locales in Northern Ireland include the Dark Hedges, a tree-lined street used as the Kingsroad, as well as Castle Ward, which was featured as the heart of the northern kingdom of Winterfell.
