Where is House of the Dragon filmed? Real-life locations to visit

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House of the Dragon is back for a second series after a two-year wait, and House Targaryen’s reign over the Seven Kingdoms is as chaotic and spectacularly picturesque as ever.

The HBO fantasy series and game of thrones the prequel premiered on Monday (June 17) for an eight-episode run as rival factions compete for the Iron Throne.

A star-studded cast, including Matt Smith and Emma D’Arcy as the icy blonde Targaryen, sets the backdrop to otherworldly destinations, new and old, for the highly anticipated second series of George RR Martin’s book . Fire and blood.

Where is game of thrones predecessor was primarily filmed in Ireland, Croatia and Iceland, the acclaimed spin-off stayed a little closer to home for the revival of Westeros.

Although several scenes were shot at Warner Bros Leavesden Studios in Watford – originally the home of Harry Potter – cameras rolled on locations across the UK last summer.

With the rural destinations of England and North Wales ready for a road trip, here are the epic fire-breathing sets in HBO’s deadly fantasy drama.

Where is House of the Dragon filmed?

Season one

Spain

Caceres

The fortified palaces, Renaissance architecture and cobbled streets of Caceres in western Spain have taken over from Dubrovnik as the capital of Westeros. Footage of the Unesco World Heritage site included the old town and Plaza de Santa Maria – with views of a 15th-century Gothic cathedral and some fitting gargoyles.

Trujillo

Trujillo’s main square also captured medieval moments from King’s Landing for the first season. With well-preserved Roman ruins and Moorish castles on the hills just east of Cacares, it’s no surprise that the terracotta stone town was previously seen in Game of thrones.

Santa Clotilde Gardens, Lloret de Mar

In Catalonia’s Lloret de Mar, the botanical gardens of Santa Clotilde doubled as the gardens of the Red Force, with panoramic views of the Mediterranean Sea. Built in the Italian Renaissance style in 1926, the Girona Gardens are a maze of stairs, manicured lawns and flora that are open to the public all year round.

Gaztelugatxeko, Bay of Biscay

You will find the staircase to the Dragonstone fortress on the northern coast of Spain – the island of Gaztelugatxeko. Although in reality the 241 narrow stone steps of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe lead to a small church, in fantasy they represent an impressive arrival at the ancient house of the Targaryens.

Castillo de La Calahorra, Granada

This 14th-century castle in Granada – one of the first Italian Renaissance castles outside Italy – provided the setting for a Targaryen royal stronghold in the city of Pentos. Located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, Castillo de La Calahorra is privately owned, but tours can be arranged.

Portugal

Monsanto, Castelo Branco

Representing the ancestral seat of House Targaryen is medieval Monsanto. The UNESCO-listed ‘Stone City’ is a Portuguese dragon stone full of boulders – no dragons.

England

Mount St Michael, Cornwall

Cornish postcard favorite Mount St Michael became High Tide Castle on Driftmark Island for House of the Dragon. Household Velaryon has taken to the tidal island of “Blackwater Bay” as home, with visits from the likes of King Viserys and Princess Rhaenrya.

Holywell Beach, Cornwall

The idyllic stretch of Cornwall’s Holywell Beach also welcomed the Targaryens for some sandy scenes in the Stepstone Isles that connect Westeros and Essos between the ‘Narrow Sea’ and the ‘Summer Sea’.

Kynance Cove, Cornwall

For the season’s first big battle sequence, Cornwall’s Kynance Bay on Asparagus Island provided a backdrop of grass-wrapped rock stacks, white sand and turquoise waves for the Valyrian camp before the War of the Stones.

Season two

Wales

Gwynedd

The fantasy series descended on the valleys and quarries of North Wales to bring Westeros to life around Snowdonia. From the dramatic Yr Eifl granite quarry to the Dinorwig quarry – formerly one of the largest slate quarries in the world – Gwynedd has produced a compelling dub for Dragonstone’s exterior. The mystical Ogwen Glacial Valley in Eryri National Park also honed its impressive geology, waterfalls and hiking trails to play in the series, before the 17th-century Penmachno Roman Bridge south of Betws-y-Coed , to become the center of scenes after a fight.

Anglesey

The Isle of Anglesey and its rugged coastline, bays and beaches similarly feature in the series. At the popular Penmon Point beach, fans saw rowing sequences filmed near the iconic Trwyn Du Lighthouse. Cameras have also been seen preparing for a cavalry charge on the sands of Beaumaris Beach, and Llanddwyn Beach and Porth y Cwch Bays are rumored to frame Sowing the Dragon’s Seed.

England

Bourne Woods, Farnham

Crews also headed to film favorite Bourne Woods in Farnham for battle scenes amid dense foliage and towering green trees – once the setting for the opening battle of Gladiator and the Battle of Austerlitz in Napoleon.

Peak District

The production used the English Peak District for scenes in and around the southern Pennines. The charming Derbyshire village of Castleton returned as the Vale of Arryn and home of House Arryn, while the Crab Kings’ henchmen took refuge in the walking hot spot and dry valley, Cave Dale. Also seen on screen, Eldon Hill Quarry in the National Park served as the setting for Prince Daemon’s former home, with its 470m limestone hill.

Caesar’s Camp, Aldershot

At Ceasar’s Camp in Hampshire, the remains of an Iron Age hill fort provided the rural sights of House of the Dragon life as well as a battlefield background complete with a set of colorful tents.

New episodes of House of the Dragon season two are available to stream weekly Sky Atlantic and NOW.