Croatia hosts on of the main locations in the iconic Game of Thrones HBO original series, the fictional place called Kings Landing. This city was written to be home of the Iron Throne, for which most of the characters will fight to keep and become the Ruler of the Seven Kingdoms.
Scouting for the series found the perfect location in Dubrovnik, Croatia, a picturesque town on the Dalmatian Coast, also know as the Pearl of the Adriatic and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Already a famous tourist location for its beautiful sea views and colourful red rooftops. The late-medieval walled city has an exceptional Old Town with beautiful Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque churches, monasteries, palaces and fountains.
Here is a list of locations in Croatia where many scenes where filmed and almost no CGI was needed, now there is nothing going to stop you from visiting Croatia and feel like you are inside the GoT series.
1. Walls of Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik’s city walls (Seaside, west and Bokar Fortress Walls) are a series of defensive stone walls that stretch completely around Old Town, which reach a maximum height of about 25 metres and can be of 4 to 6 meters thick, because they were built to protect the city and act as a defence against artillery fire.
The outer walls of Dubrovnik look as if they were built for this TV show, to represent a city that acted as a line of defence against foreign invaders. It’s clear that CGI (computer-generated imagery) was used to transform these real locations into the world of Game of Thrones, but even so it’s still very recognisable as Dubrovnik. In most cases when people walk around the city, they may not notice that the walls beside them were an important part of King’s Landing, capital of the Seven Kingdoms.
2. Minčeta Tower
The base of Minčeta Tower was used as the exterior of House of Undying in the town of Qarth. It is the place where Daenerys Targaryen walks around trying to find the entrance into the House of Undying looking for her stolen dragons in season two.
This is the most prominent and thick part of Dubrovnik’s walls. The tower Minčeta is the highest point of the walls which offers an unforgettable view on the old town of Dubrovnik. The tower’s name derives from the name of the Mencetic family, who owned the ground upon which the tower was built. Minčeta is the most beautiful and remarkable fort of Dubrovnik and often regarded as the symbol of the city.
3. Trsteno Arboretum
The Trsteno Arboretum covers an area of 25 hectares. It was established at the end of the fifteenth century as a park and summer residence of the patrician family Gučetić-Gozze.
Arboretum Trsteno was home for the beautiful gardens of King’s Landing and is one of the major filming locations of the Game of Thrones series, where all the main protagonists weave their plots and exchange secrets.
4. Jesuit Staircase
These play the steps of the Great Sept of Baelor in King’s Landing, which you can remember from the iconic scene in season five “Walk of Shame”, in which Cersei Lannister was forced to walk naked through the streets of King’s Landing. These magnificent and elegant Baroque stairs are located on the south side of Gundulic Square. The steps lead up to the Uz Jezuite Street, where the Jesuit Church of St. Ignatius and two of Dubrovnik’s colleges are located.
5. Island of Lokrum
The Game of Thrones production team used the Island of Lokrum as a set for the city of Qarth near the Jade Sea, which is visited by Daenerys Targaryen in season two. Some of the garden scenes were filmed in the botanical gardens on Lokrum and in the Former Benedictine monastery.
Lokrum island covers 72 hectares and is located on the eastern Croatian coast, near the city of Dubrovnik. About 15 minutes are needed to get there by a water-taxi which sales from the old city harbour.
6. Ethnographic Museum Rupe
The exterior of Littlefinger’s brothel. This museum contains folk costumes and textile work, all that date back to the 16th century. In this impressive building the Dubrovnik Republic kept all the state reserves of grain in deep silos carved out of stone called Rupe. The exterior of this museum doubles as the brothel of Petyr Baelish (Littlefinger) where Tyrion Lannister meets Oberyn Martell in season four. The residential area close to the museum is also a place where the High Septon is forced to walk naked through the street by a group of Sparrows in season five.
7. Ploče Gate
Used as the Red Keep Gate. The east entrance to the Old Town Dubrovnik, Ploče Gate was built in Romanesque style of the 14th century. Above the entrance of the Gate there is a statue of Sveti Vlaho, the patron saint of Dubrovnik. The gate consists of an inner and outer section and incorporates a stone bridge. Cersei Lannister walked over this bridge to enter the Red Keep after her walk of shame at the end of season five.
8. Rector’s Palace
The residence of the Spice King in Qarth. The scene in season two where Daenerys Targaryen asks the Spice King of Qarth for ships to take her army across the Narrow sea is shot in the external parts of Reactor’s Palace. This palace was built in the late 15th century for the elected rector who governed Dubrovnik at the time.
9. Fort Lovrijenac
This is the scenario for the Red Keep in King’s Landing, the capital of the Seven Kingdoms. Lots of the scenes are filmed at this Fort including the tournament thrown in honour of King Joffrey’s name day in season two. It is located at the western side of the Old Town, outside the city walls on a 37 meters high cliff. It’s also known as “Dubrovnik’s Gibraltar”.
10. Pile Gate
Pile is a meeting point for both visitors and locals, and it represents the main entrance to Dubrovnik’s Old Town. From Pile you can also enjoy the views over a nearby small fishing harbour which is located between Bokar and Lovrijenac fortress.