I return, once again, to my Game of Thrones’ obsession.
Greetings fellow Game of Thrones nerds, sullied and unsullied, Stark or Targaryen devotees.
Who doesn’t love Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin’s romantic medieval world of lust, murder, and dragons?
Well, maybe some of us superfans weren’t overly fond of the face paced and teleporting elements of the last season or the clunky ending.
But that won’t put a damper on us visiting Game of Thrones filming locations. We are loyal.
In a quest for psychological identification, we visit the exotic filming locations seeking to reproduce, personalize, and experience the phantasmagorical narrative. We soak it up.
It’s partly a symbolic experience. We want to cast our eyes on the sites and memorialize them as “our GOT places.” It’s partly pure escapism and an attempt to connect to the Westeros world up close and personal.
As befitting a medieval drama, Game of Thrones features stunning castles, some CGI’d and some not. What served as the the stunning backdrops for the castle scenes?
If you’re a Game of Thrones medievalist, follow the three eyed raven and check out these ten real life castles that were used as filming sites in Game of Thrones.
They’re located in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Spain, and Croatia and are some of Europe’s must see castles.
Game of Thrones Castles in Europe
Game of Thrones may be over. But you can still experience the show’s magic at these ten real life castles in Europe.
1. Shane’s Castle
With its abundance of ruined castles, Northern Ireland is Game of Thrones territory proper.
Shane’s Castle is a ruined castle on a 2600 acre estate on the northeast shores of Lough Neagh (lough means lake) in Northern Ireland. Built in 1345, it was formerly called Eden-duff-carrick. It was the manor of the Clanaboy O’Neill dynasty, who were effectively kings of Ulster for a thousand years.
In 1722, Shane MacBrien O’Neill took possession and changed its name to Shane’s Castle. Legend holds that the castle was haunted by the O’Neill banshee, a ghostlike crone that forewarned of death.
Unfortunately, the castle was destroyed by fire in 1816 in the midst of a large house party and only ruins remain today.
Shane’s Castle appeared extensively in two episodes of Season 1, “Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things” and “The Wolf and the Lion,” back when Ned Stark still had his head.
The fight between Brienne of Tarth and Jaime Lannister in Season 2 was filmed here.
The famous jousting tournament, the Tourney of the Hand, was also filmed here. You know, the one where the Hound actually sliced off a horse’s head.
The Knight of Flowers, Loras Tyrell, made a grand entrance, and a then insipid Sansa reverentially whispered, “Oh, he’s so beautiful.”
The area of scenic Lough Neagh was also transformed into the Summer Sea in Season 5, There, Jorah steals a boat, takes Tyrion captive as a present for his beloved Daenerys, and sets sail to Meereen.
They scuffle with stone men as they venture into Valyria. Tyrion is safe, but Jorah contracts greyscale.
In Season 2, Brienne also dispatches some bandits while escorting Jaime to Kings Landing around Lough Neagh. During their journey, she’s forced to endure his taunts about her appearance (obviously way before his redemption arc).
2. Castle Ward
Castle Ward, a 16th-century fortified estate near the village of Strangford in Northern Ireland, has been in the Ward family since 1570.
This atmospheric site became the heart of Game of Thrones’ Winterfell, especially for the pilot episode and much of Season 1, with a bit of CGI magic to bring it fully to life. The Game of Thrones crew spent eight weeks here constructing sets and filming key scenes.
Castle Ward served as House Stark’s stronghold before the infamous Bolton siege. Many iconic Winterfell exteriors were shot here, including the courtyard where young Bran practices archery.
It’s also the spot where King Robert Baratheon arrives, hoping to persuade Ned Stark to be his Hand after Jon Arryn’s death.
The grounds were versatile too, used for various army camp scenes throughout the series, from Stark to Lannister encampments. Castle Ward remains a must-visit for fans eager to explore the real-life setting of Winterfell!
Castle Ward offers an extremely organized Game of Thrones tour. Everything is dedicated to replicating a day in Westeros.
You can don a fur cape or costume and learn to shoot bow and arrows, just like Bran the Broken in Season 1.
A replica of the Winterfell Archery Range has been recreated in the same spot where filming took place. Don’t miss this must see destination in Scotland.
Pro tip: When you arrive at Castle Ward, follow narrow roads through the gates and signs for the main car park. Continue straight following signs for Trail Parking/Shore Car Park. Parking is free.
>>> Click here to book a Winterfell tour from Belfast
3. Gosford Castle
Gosford Castle is a 19th century country manor in Gosford, Northern Ireland.
Just an hour outside Belfast, it was built and designed in the Norman revival style for the 2nd Earl of Gosford by London architect Thomas Hopper. It’s Northern Ireland’s largest castle.
The 4th Earl of Gosford was a prolific gambler and was forced to sell the castle in 1922.
It was thereafter state property until it was sold in 2006 to a private developer. The castle underwent extensive renovations, and was transformed into 23 luxury residences.
Now, six of those apartments are up for sale. A Game of Thrones fan could potentially be the next owner!
Gosford Castle was used for exterior scenes in Season 3 of Game of Thrones, including Robb Stark’s execution of Rickard Karstark in “Kissed by Fire.” It was a backdrop for the Red Wedding.
It also stands in as the seat of House Tully, used for exterior shots of Riverrun. The rather beleaguered House Tully is the family of Robb Stark’s mother and an important ally of House Stark.
4. Doune Castle
Only one Scottish castle was used in Game of Thrones: Doune Castle.
Doune Castle is a medieval castle built in the 13th century as the home of Regent Albany, “Scotland’s uncrowned king.”
It has a striking 100 ft high gatehouse and one of the best preserved great halls in Scotland.
It’s mainly used for Winterfell in the pilot and other scenes in Season 1.
The real castle is quite a bit smaller than onscreen Winterfell, but looks larger through the magic of CGI.
You may also recognize the photogenic castle from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It also played Leoch Castle in Starz’ Outlander series.
To take advantage of Game of Thrones fever, Doune Castle was even renamed Winterfell for one week leading up to the series finale.
5. Castillo de Almodóvar del Río, Spain
A Spanish castle, Castillo de Almodóvar del Río, makes an appearance in Season 7, standing in for the Tyrell stronghold of Highgarden.
It’s located about 15 miles outside Córdoba. And if you’re in Cordoba, Cordoba’s UNESCO-listed Roman Bridge doubled as the Long Bridge of Volantis, enhanced by CGI.
There’s a stunning aerial shot of the Roman Bridge in Season 5, Episode 3. Tyrion Lannister and Varys, the court “fixer” are journeying from Pentos to Meereen.
The beautiful and isolated Castillo de Almodovar del Rio, is 1300 years old, dating back to the 8th century. When the castle was originally built, it was called Al-Mudawvar, meaning “round” or “safe,” which is the origin of the town’s name, Almodovar.
Ruling from the Royal Alcazar in Seville, Peter the Cruel used the castle as a home, prison, and treasury.
Castle Almodóvar was substantially restored over 36 years in the 20th century. It has 8 towers to explore. It’s one of the best things to visit on a road trip in southern Spain.
The castle is the ancestral home of the now extinct House Tyrell. It appeared in Season 7 of Game of Thrones.
In Season 7, “The Queen’s Justice,” there’s a dramatic scene where Jaime Lannister and the Tarlys march on Highgarden and seize control, helping Queen Cersei temporarily best Daenerys and Tyrion in the battle for Westeros.
The castle’s dungeon also served as Casterly Rock.
The castle is open to the public and you can explore its rugged walls, musty dungeons, and nine crenelated towers.
Because it is a bit off the beaten track, it is delightfully free of the tourist hordes that clog most Game of Thrones sites. The castle also now offers Game of Thrones tours.
Pro tip: It’s a bit of a hike from the parking lot. There are guided tours on the weekends at 12:00 pm and 5:00 pm (4:30 pm in winter).
>>> Click here to book a ticket
6. Castle of Zafra, Spain
The dramatic Castle of Zafra stars as the Tower of Joy in Season 6.
The castle was built in the 12th and 13th centuries and lies between Madrid and Barcelona in the Spanish province of Guadalajara. It’s now owned by the family of Antonio Sanz Polo of Molina de Aragon.
In Game of Thrones lore, the Tower of Joy lies near the Red Mountains of Dorne. It plays a pivotal role in the story line of Jon Snow’s parentage. It’s the home of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark after they elope and secretly marry. And we learn that it’s Jon’s birthplace.
The Tower of Joy appears in two of Bran’s visions. First, guided by the three eyed raven, Bran sees his father Ned Stark confront Ser Arthur Dayne, the last member of the Kingsguard still loyal to the mad king.
A battle commences and the last men standing are Ned Stark and Howland Reed. Ned hears a woman screaming and enters the tower.
Later, Bran has another vision at the Weirwood Tree in Winterfell that breaks the internet, and confirms a longstanding fan theory. He sees Ned reunited with his sister Lyanna, Rhaegar’s wife, who is dying in childbirth.
Pleading “promise me,” she entrusts Ned with her newborn son, Aegon Targaryen, who will grow up as Jon Snow.
Pro tip: The castle is accessed by a dirt road, leading from the village of Hombrados, so you’ll need an all terrain vehicle. It’s a 2.5 hour drive from Madrid.
7. The Castle of Trujillo
Sitting at the town’s highest point, the Castle of Trujillo stands sentinel over the town of Cáceres in eastern Spain.
It was built in the 13th century on the site of an old Arab fortress from the 9th or 10th century.
Built of blocks of granite, the Moorish castle has 8 towers, a courtyard/parade ground, and an albacara. Four of its original seven gates have survived.
In Season 7, the castle was used for two different scenes and portrayed two different Westeros locations. Filming took place in November 2016.
The castle first appears as Casterly Rock, the seat of House Lannister.
Its high location is the perfect setting for Casterly Rock, which is supposed to be carved out of a great colossal rock overlooking the Sunset Sea.
You may recall from the books that Tywin Lannister muttered to himself “Stone, I must be stone, I must be Casterly Rock, hard and unmovable.”
In the show, having arrived in Westeros and reclaimed Dragonstone, Daenerys sends her Unsullied army to claim and occupy Casterly Rock.
The Lannister army is gone, off to claim Highgarden, so it’s an easy task.
Later, the castle’s ramparts double as Kings Landing. It’s the setting for a confrontation between the Unsullied and the Lannister armies in the Season 7 finale.
8. St. Florentina’s Castle
The adorable St. Florentina’s castle is a 45 minute drive up the Maresme Coast from Barcelona Spain, and is an easy day trip from Barcelona.
The castle’s beautifully situated in a forested area, accessed via a dirt road. In the 11th century, it functioned as a fortification to stave off frequent pirates’ attacks.
In Game of Thrones, St. Florentina’s Castle serves as Horn Hill, the seat of the Tarly family. There are scenes shot in the courtyard, a large room called the King’s Room, and a bedroom.
Here, we meet the dour Tarly family patriarch, Samwell’s father Randyll, in a famously awkward “meet the parents” dinner scene in the Season 6 episode “Blood of My Blood.”
Randyll’s a jerk, and kicks Sam out of the house. Angered, Sam leaves with Gilly, stealing the family’s Valyrian steel sword Heartsbane on his way out the door.
The castle currently run tours upon request, where you can experience the medieval dining halls and bedrooms seen in the show.
9. Lovrijenac Fortress
Dubrovnik is simply stunning—a UNESCO gem you can’t miss in Croatia. Its proud fortress, Lovrijenac, is instantly recognizable as the Red Keep in the fictional King’s Landing, capital of the Seven Kingdoms in Game of Thrones.
Inside this mighty fortress lies the Great Hall, where the iconic Iron Throne, forged by Aegon the Conqueror, holds court. J
ust above the door to the fortress, there’s a powerful inscription in stone: “Non Bene Pro Toto Libertas Venditur Auro,” meaning, “Freedom cannot be sold for all the gold in the world.”
Lovrijenac Fortress plays a starring role in Seasons 1-3 of the series, bringing the world of Westeros vividly to life.
Most notably, this is where Cersei Lannister confronts Littlefinger in the Season 2 premiere “The North remembers.”
He opines in his slippery slimy know-it-all way that “knowledge is power.” A defiant Cersei holds a knife to his throat and fires back with “power is power.”
In Season 1, Tyrion slaps Joffrey across the face in the castle when he won’t pay his respects to the Starks after Bran’s fall.
In the Season 2 premiere, Joffrey also has his small humiliating NameDay Tournament on the fort’s porch.
The highest point along Dubrovnik’s city walls, Minčeta Tower, stands in for the exterior of the House of the Undying in Qarth during the Season 2 finale, “Valar Morghulis.“
Daenerys Targaryen searches for her stolen dragons inside. But she’s kidnapped by the warlocks who, not knowing any better, get fried by a protective Drogon.
The city walls of Dubrovnik were primarily used as a filming location for the King’s Landing’s exteriors.
>>> Click here to book a GOT walking tour
10. The Almeria Alcazaba
Almeria has a rugged charm and is home to a spectacular, well-preserved castle fortress that’s truly a hidden gem in southern Spain. Slightly off the usual tourist track, this 1,430-meter-long walled castle is part of Almeria’s UNESCO heritage and absolutely worth the visit.
Built in 955 by the powerful Caliph Abd al-Rahman III—who also built Córdoba’s Medina Azahara—the Alcazaba is an impressive military fortress with triple-layered walls and striking battlements topped with pointed merlons.
This fortress also made its mark in Game of Thrones, standing in as Dorne, the seat of House Martell.
While the Royal Alcázar in Seville serves as Dorne’s primary location, Almeria’s Alcazaba provided extra scenes, likely offering a quieter and more versatile backdrop for filming.
READ: 3 day Itinerary for Seville
Interior shots, scenes of the Dornish coast, and even some Water Garden scenes for Game of Thrones were filmed at the Alcazaba.
To create the look of Dorne, the pool at the Alcazaba was digitally merged with the grotto wall of Seville’s Alcázar, where key Season 5 scenes took place.
Not far from here is the Torre de Mesa Roldán, an extinct flat-topped volcano in the stunning Cabo de Gata Natural Park.
It was transformed into Meereen, the city of pyramids in Essos. In Episode 9 of Season 6, this is where Daenerys punishes the Masters for their betrayal and makes a dramatic entrance on Drogon, flying into the bay.
Image sources: HBO
11. Dunluce Castle
Dunluce Castle, perched dramatically on Northern Ireland’s coastline, is one of the most striking real-life Game of Thrones filming locations.
Used as the seat of House Greyjoy in the Iron Islands, this medieval ruin became the set for Pyke Castle, the mysterious and windswept home of the ironborn.
With its jagged cliffs and turbulent seas below, Dunluce perfectly captures the wild, unforgiving spirit of the Iron Islands and the seafaring Greyjoy family.
Filming here was a natural fit, as Dunluce’s isolated, fortress-like setting mirrors the harsh environment of Pyke. It’s easy to see why the show’s creators chose this location to bring the Iron Islands to life, given its crumbling stone walls and remote cliffs.
In the series, Dunluce provides the backdrop for scenes with Theon Greyjoy, his sister Yara, and the intense Greyjoy family dynamics.
Although Game of Thrones heavily relied on CGI to expand Pyke’s look, the castle’s real-life features, like its towering walls and dramatic location, form the foundation of House Greyjoy’s ancestral seat.
Standing here, fans can truly feel the atmosphere of Pyke Castle, imagining the ships docking below and the ironborn warriors preparing for battle.
You may enjoy these other Europe travel guides and resources:
- 45 best UNESCO Sites in Europe
- Famous landmarks in Spain
- Famous landmarks in Italy
- Famous landmarks in Portugal
- Famous landmarks in France
- Hidden Gem Towns in Europe
If you’d like to visit the real life European castles used in Game of Thrones, pin it for later.
