Game of Thrones (2011) is one of the fantastic shows with the highest viewership. And something that made it even more favourable is the costumes worn by the cast and shooting locations. However, the costume design is still easy to match, but the location is something that many shows couldn’t think about shooting at. Rather than using VFX and shooting the show in a congested studio, the GOT team decided to shoot the entire show at real-life castles to represent Westeros. And, if you are a GOT fan, you would definitely love to visit these Game of Thrones castles at least once in your life.
Elevate Your Collection with Game of Thrones Castle Artifacts and Memorabilia!
In all seasons of GOT, we got a chance to watch countless stunning castles that made us wanderlust. From introducing Winterfell castle to Dorne castle, the show’s production team has spared no expense finding the best castles and preparing them to be a part of the show. And the best part is that you can visit many of all Game of Thrones castles and feel nostalgic.
So, pack your bag and get excited because we are taking you through a list of famous Game of Thrones castles that you can actually visit in real life.
1. Gosford Castle, Northern Island:
Gosford Castle is a beautiful 19th-century country house based in Northern Ireland, which Game of Thrones recognises as Riverrun. The Riverrun was seen in Season 3 of the show as Catelyn Stark’s childhood home.
In 2006, the castle made a new debut with its sale price, i.e. $656,452, and for its one of the most extensive renovations that made the space counted as one of the 23 luxury residences in Northern Ireland. The castle was then sold for an undiscovered price, but it is still open for visitors to explore.
2. Shane’s Castle, Northern Island:
Shane’s Castle is one of the castles in Game of Thrones by a radicalised high sparrow, who forced all the prisoners to confess in favour of him. Also, it’s the same castle where Cersei nearly found her match.
The Shane’s Castle was originally built in the year 1345, and now it has a crumbling structure. If you plan to visit the Northeastern shores of Lough Neagh in Northern Island, don’t forget to check out this castle of Game of Thrones.
3. Alcazar Of Seville, Spain:
The Alcazar of Seville was built for King Peter of Castile and had a pure royal touch. This Spain based castle was also a part of Game of Thrones castles and appeared as one of the palaces of Dorne. Although Drone was not a very lovable character among fans, this castle attained a top position in the list of most beautiful locations seen in the show.
The Architecture of Alcazar of Seville is Ornate, inspired by Muslim Moores, who was once the owner of this royal castle. Now, it is a beautiful home of Spain’s royal family.
4. Castell De Santa Florentina, Spain:
Castell De Santa Florentina is located outside Spain, and you will also notice it in the 6th season of the Game of Thrones Series. This castle has served as Horn Hill, which was an ancestral house of Samwell Tarly. Sam brought Ginny to this castle, his home, to meet his family.
It is one of the ancient castles in the game of thrones with the Roman Domus foundation. You can tour or rent this castle at your convenience.
5. Castillo De Trujillo, Spain:
Although you will notice Casterly Rock throughout the Game of Series, the Castillo De Trujillo castle is shown in the series in the 7th season. You can notice it when Daenerys Targaryen’s Unsullied army attacked the Lannister Home.
This Game of thrones castle is built over the old Muslim Citadel, the medieval Moorish stone and is located at the highest point of Cáceres. Its structure has eight towers and a horseshoe arch.
6. Doune Castle, Scotland:
There are chances that you must have missed Doune Castle in the Game of Thrones series, but it stood in for a section of Winterfell, the Ancestral home of Starks, during the pilot episode. The shooting for the scene where Jamie Lannister pushes Bran out of the window, saying, “The things we do for love.” is also done in its tower.
It is one of the famous Scotland based Game of Thrones Castle, built in the 14th century as Home of Regent Albany, the uncrowned king of Scotland. When you visit this castle, you get a chance to explore its steep, cobbled tunnel, courtyard, and cellar.
7. Castle of Zafra, Spain:
The castle of Zafra is noticed at the Tower of Joy in the Game of Thrones series. It is where you will notice this one of the beautiful Game of Thrones castles. In the 3rd episode of the 6th season of the show, the young Ned Stark and his bannermen fought Ser Arthur Dayne and Ser Gerold Hightower in the flashback of Bran Stark.
The castle of Zafra was built in the 12th century in a little village of Campillo De Duenas, Spain. The best part is that it is unearthed, and visitors can explore it.
8. Castle Ward, Northern Ireland:
Castle Ward is one of the most famous Game of Thrones castles because it is the first location in the show. It played a part of Winterfell in the pilot and can be seen throughout the 1st season of this show. Also, after the airing of 1st season, this castle has become the home of many GOT fans.
People can sign up for one of the Winterfell Tours to explore this 18th-century castle. It gives a chance to explore the full-on immersive Game of Thrones vibes and dress up as your favourite character of the show.
9. Lovrijenac Fortress, Croatia:
Lovrijenac Fortress is famously known as Dubrovnik’s Gibraltar and was seen at the start of Season 2 of the show when all Landings of the King were shot in the Mediterranean Coastal city Dubrovnik. Even it was the location for the biggest battles seen in the Game of Thrones show. Now, the town is filled with mediaeval buildings and is a famous tourist attraction.
Although the Red Keep was majorly created through Nifty CGI, the various scenes of Red Keep were filmed at Lovrijenac Fort. In total, this Game of Thrones castle is a combination of amazing views seen from the iconic orange rooftops.
10. Ait Benhaddou, Morocco:
Ait Benhaddou is one of the most visited places in Morocco, famous for its Ancient touch and clay architecture. Because of its historical and cultural vibes, this city was used in Game of Thrones for representing Yunkai.
It was one of the slave cities in the South captured by Daenerys Targaryen and liberated during her crusade. Although the enemy captured the city, it still represented an important step towards the Iron Throne. You can visit this place to experience amazing architecture, history, and culture.
11. Dunluce Castle, Northern Ireland:
Dunluce Castle was one of the castles used in Game of Thrones as the Castle of Pyke, which was the home of Greyjoys on Iron Irelands. Although the castle is ruined now, you can still check out its Carrick-a-Rede bridge that you must have also noticed in the show.
You can visit this castle to explore the remaining architecture. However, as this castle is broken now, don’t expect to find it in the same position which you must have watched on the screen. Modern technology was used to make the castle look in perfect condition.
There are also other Game of Thrones castles you must have noticed in the show, such as Peniscola Castle and Castillo Almodovar, but these are our top picks. Whenever you visit the respective countries, don’t forget to explore these castles of Game of Thrones and relive all the scenes shot there.
Also, if interested, check out – Doune Castle- Game of Thrones
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Saurabh Sharma
Meet Saurabh Sharma, a tech pro with a master's from Latvia's Riga Technical University. He's great with computers, focusing on Cloud Computing and DevOps. But here's the cool part – Saurabh has traveled to places like Nordic, Baltic, and other parts of Europe. And guess what? He's into European history, monuments, castles, and museums. Whether he's coding or exploring, he's always curious, showing a love for different places and histories.
