Real-life places which give you major GoT feels
The popular series Game of Thrones is back with its seventh season and fans around the world are going berserk. Apart from the dramatic costumes, gripping plotline and stellar dialogues, the series is also well-known for its spectacular locations and sets. Every Game of Thrones fan would love to live in Winterfell or the iconic city of King’s Landing, but the chances of them surviving would be highly unlikely! However, the good news is that most of the GoT sets are inspired by real-life places around the globe. You can now go for a Game of Thrones-inspired tour and bring out the die hard GoT fan in you.
The Sept of Baelor
If you were hooked onto Game of Thrones right from season one, then the brutal death of Ned Stark in the Great Sept of Baelor should have haunted you for weeks. This stunning monument was inspired by Fort Manoel in Gzira, Malta. The set used in the filming of the series is the exact replica of this historic fort. A walk through the barren passages will give you chills as you replay the beheading of Ned Stark, the King in the North, as a cunning plot of the Lannisters.
The King’s Landing
This location is for all you Lannister fans out there! If King’s Landing is where your heart is, then a memorable trip to the ancient city of Dubrovnik, Croatia, should immediately be added to your bucket list. The panoramic view of this mesmerising city was added as a backdrop in Season two’s Battle of the Blackwater. Many exterior shots of the city are also included in season four and five, making it a tourist magnet.
Horn Hill
Visit the family home of the dynamic Tarly clan with a tour of the St. Florentina’s castle in Catalonia, Spain. Revisit the scenes in when Sam Tarly nervously introduced Craster’s pregnant daughter, and the love of his life – Gilly. The castle, also popularly known as Castell de Santa Florentina, flaunts impeccable 16th-century architecture which is guaranteed to leave you spellbound. The castle is also listed as one of the ‘Most beautiful houses in the World’ in Architectural Digest magazine.
Winterfell
Why send a raven to Winterfell when you can visit it yourself? A mind-boggling tour to the Castle Ward Estate in Dublin will make you feel like you belong to the Stark family. The castle and stable yard are even featured in the initial seasons of the series as the house of the Stark clan. You can also spot Walder Frey’s Twin Towers from this location where half of the Stark house was brutally killed in the jaw-dropping episode of the red wedding.
Beyond the Wall
Every Game of Thrones fan knows about the threats beyond the wall. You can now visit The Land of Always Winter with a stunning vacation to Iceland, where most of the Fist of First Men scenes were shot. While you are here, you can also visit the hot water spring of Grjotagja, where Jon Snow and Ygritte shared an iconic, intimate scene and left us all yelling “You know nothing, John Snow.” Luckily you will not encounter a White Walker here, although a brief chat with the wildlings would not hurt!
Belvedere Atrium
If the savage death of Oberyn Martell left you speechless for days, then a visit to the real-life location of the Belvedere Atrium is guaranteed to send shivers down your spine. This atrium is part of the Belvedere Hotel in Dubrovnik and is a tourist magnet due to the legendary scene shot here. Revisit the moment when Oberyn’s head was crushed to bits by Gregor Celegane which led to Tyrion Lannister being held guilty for the murder of the former King Joffrey.
So what are you waiting for? Head out to these symbolic real-life GoT locations and pamper the die-hard fan in you. There are a variety of GoT-inspired tours available in Spain and Europe which are guaranteed to give you major GoT feels. Pick up your sword of Valyrian steel and get going!