The dight is nark and full of errors.
Ah, pardon us. We are so shaken because that this season of Game of Thrones is ending soon that we can’t even speak properly. What will become of us when it all ends? What else is there to wake up for?
Some people might rewatch the entire series, some people might start reading the books. And for some of you who have the means to travel, there are plenty of locations you can visit to relive those memorable scenes – without the actual blood, gore and ince…diary weapons, of course.
So here they are, six Game of Thrones destinations to visit in real life:
1. Kirkjufell Mountain, Iceland
This mountain first appeared in Season 6, where Bran learned that the White Walkers were created by Children of The Forest as a warring weapon against The First Men. Poor Walkies (Whities?) didn’t even ask to be born, so that was probably the reason they started to get ice cold towards humankind. In a not-so-surprising turn of event, Children of the Forest and The First Men united to fight the White Walkers.
In real life, Kirkjufell is already an iconic landmark in Iceland, best known as the perfect place to capture the Aurora Borealis. This experience alone should be enough to convince you that, even without Three-Eyed Raven meddling, magic does exist in this world. #singletears
Other than Kirkjufell, Iceland has plenty of GoT filming locations, most of which offer breathtaking natural landscapes, especially when winter is approaching. This includes Hengilssvæðið, Þórufoss, Þórsmörk & Stakkholtsgjá, and many other places that we can hardly pronounce.
Click here if you’re looking for hotels around Iceland.
2. Dubrovnik, Croatia
Dubrovnik plays such an integral part in GoT since it doubles as King’s Landing where most of the political dramas take the stage. Who could forget Cersei’s Walk of Shame, a scene so brutal we actually felt sorry for her.
The city of Dubrovnik is lined with walls, forts and castles that are so well-preserved and you will be perpetually immersed by the magnificent surroundings. As long as you remember to keep your clothes on during the walk down the Jesuit stairs.
Other than Dubrovnik, Šibenik doubles as Braavos, where Arya enrolled in some ninja warrior academy, boosting her stealth by +100 points. This other old town also offers lots of majestic structures without the entry fee of an iron coin.
Click here if you’re looking for hotels around Croatia.
3. Dark Hedges, Northern Ireland
Dark Hedges is the stand-in for the road leading up to King’s Landings, aptly named Kingsroad. It stands out from the other destinations in this list not because of any specific scene involving death or betrayal, but because of the road that a somber Ned has to take every time he has to leave his home and family. As if he wasn’t a somber person already. Like, cheer up Ned, you don’t have to lose your head over all this commotion.
Google for more photos of Dark Hedges and you’ll see some that eerily resemble a horror painting, because they are just that. Understandably, some people only schedule their visits during the daytime.
Some of other Northern Ireland attractions include Castle Ward, which is the fort for Winterfell, and Magheramorne Quarry which is the site for Castle Black & North of the Wall. In fact, the production is headquartered in Northern Ireland. That’s saying something about how important Winterfell and Castle Black as the first bastion to defend against the Night’s King army.
Click here if you’re looking for hotels around Northern Ireland, UK.
4. St. Dominic Convent, Malta
The birth of the title that carries the show (and the first book) comes from an intense conversation between Cersei and Ned in the Red Keep Garden, filmed in St. Dominic Convent. Ned, being the honorable man that he is, told her in advance that he would expose Cersei’s scheming, to which she replied, “When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die.”
Not long after, we were shocked by the jaw-dropping sequence of Ned getting beheaded, an event that forever fosters distrust among the people in Westeros, and the audience for George R.R. Martin.
Just like Dubrovnik, Malta takes huge pride in maintaining their heritage, albeit more fortunately as they don’t suffer from as much overcrowding. You can also feast your eyes and flex your Instagram skills to the natural side of the country such as the Azure Window where Dany and Drogo tied in a knot, which despite all the barbaric ritual of his men killing each other for sport, was the only wedding that had a happy ending.
Click here if you’re looking for hotels around Malta.
5. Ait Benhaddou, Morocco
Morocco is yet another UNESCO heritage site (besides Croatia and Malta). Ait Benhaddou itself has full-blown medieval architecture, which is perfect for a world of swords and dragons. In this case, Ait Benhaddou is the backdrop of two slaved city: Yunkas and Pentos.
In fact, Dany used dragons in almost conquest that she had to deal with. Freeing a bunch of slaves? Dragons. People with severe knee problems? Dragons. Education inequity and universal basic income? Dragons.
But regardless of the Khaleesi’s street creds on screen, the offscreen destinations have more chill. Among other spots in Morocco is Essaouira, Astapor Home of the Unsullied. Essaouira itself has its own interesting lore, where it blends cultures from across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Click here if you’re looking for hotels around Morocco.
6. Itálica, Spain
King’s Landing Dragonpit, which was shot in Itálica, witnessed for the first time the gathering of all the important players of GoT, albeit not for a friendly campfire.
Tyrion was like: “Hey I still have a glimmer of love towards my homicidal sister hence, offering her a peace treaty,” but Cersei was like: “Ya boi, I’m gonna screw you, like literally, with a crossbow.” The Clegane brothers’ stares intensified, the Greyjoy relatives’ stares intensified, Dany was like MUH DRAGONS, Bronn and Pod went somewhere, just chilling, having a drink.
The ruins of Itálica alone is worth the visit for its sheer size and spectacle of a Roman archeological site. There’s also the Archeological Museum of Seville nearby if you want to discover in depth about the town’s architecture and planning insights.
Spain also houses Castillo de Zafra, the Tower of Joy, where it was revealed that Jon was the rightful heir to the crown, confirming the R+L=J theory. But more importantly, it revealed the depth of Ned’s willingness to keep his promises to his sister. Perhaps the only fully functional sibling relationships in this show, and it runs through his children.
Except for the Three-Eyed Raven who’s no longer Brandon Stark. He still remembers the memory of Bran, but he also remembers so much more now. #singletears
Still though, click here if you’re looking for hotels around Spain.