Travelling to King’s Landing – a Game of Thrones guide to Dubrovnik

When my parents told me we were travelling to Dubrovnik for our summer holiday last year, I gladly accepted it – free holiday, yay! – and didn’t think any more about it. Then, a few weeks before we left, I had a sudden realisation: Dubrovnik is one of the main filming locations of Game of Thrones. I was immediately more excited, and started researching where I could find the locations of various scenes. I spent most of the holiday keeping an eye out for these places, and I was pleasantly surprised by how many I was able to recognise, although I’m sure there are plenty more! So, here’s a handy guide to finding all of the best Game of Thrones filming spots in Dubrovnik (and the surrounding area)!

1. Dubrovnik Old Town

Let’s begin with one of Game of Thrones’ finest moments: when Joffrey is hit in the face by a big pile of shit. This photo was taken from the City Walls (as was the one above) – a really worthwhile walk to go on if you’re in the city, as you get amazing views of the old town and can spot a number of Game of Thrones locations from it. It costs HRK100 for adults – students get 70% off with their student ID though!

Top tip: keep hold of your ticket, as it will also let you into Fort Lovrijenac, another Game of Thrones hotspot.

There are a number of other major Game of Thrones filming locations in the Old Town. These include these steps, and its surrounding streets, which feature prominently in various market scenes, including the one pictured from series 5:

These tiny doors are the location of the brutal murders of some of Robert Baratheon’s illegitimate sons:

This bay is featured pretty heavily in many scenes in King’s Landing:

and these steps, which were a key filming location in series 5 with the introduction of the Sparrows and their radical religion:

2. Fort Lovrijenac

This fort features frequently in scenes set in King’s Landing, with the interior often being used as part of the Red Keep:

You can also see the filming location of the Purple Wedding – though when it’s not being used to host murderous weddings, it serves as a humble car park:

3. Trsteno Arboretum

The botanic gardens – just outside Dubrovnik – are well worth a visit, as they are often used as the beautiful gardens of the Red Keep!

Walking around the gardens (and beyond them), you can find loads of wee hidden locations – such as this platform where Sansa and Margaery take a walk:

4. Hotel Belvedere

This is perfect for those who also love a bit of urban exploring! You can kill two historical and cultural birds with one stone by visiting the Hotel Belvedere, which was not only abandoned after the Yugoslav wars in the 1990s (as were many other hotels, meaning there are plenty of opportunities for exploring), but also the filming location for a particularly gruesome Game of Thrones scene:

5. Lokrum

Lokrum is an island just off the coast of Dubrovnik, easily accessed by boat taxi. Unlike the majority of the filming locations in Dubrovnik, this island was actually used to represent a location much further east – the city of Qarth.

There are also other important scenes for Daenerys filmed in Dubrovnik – including this one at the House of the Undying, filmed on the City Walls:

 

Special thanks goes to my parents for putting up with me for the 4 days, and resisting the urge to find a moon door to push me through for all my Game of thrones geekery and fangirling.

[Katie Fannin – @katfnan]