Looking for the Game of Thrones in Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik, Croatia

A recurring theme for me on my trip to Croatia was the shear ethereal beauty of the country. From soaring mountains to ancient cities, the country is truly a visual delight. I’m not alone in my impressions of Croatia, the producers of the HBO adaptation of the Game of Thrones novels were also mesmerized by the otherworldly quality of Croatia, specifically Dubrovnik which serves as the real world stand in for King’s Landing.

Even if you’re not familiar with the mini-series or even the books, you can’t help but be bombarded by Game of Thrones everything as soon you enter the southern city of Dubrovnik. Tour groups have latched on to the collective fascination with the story and I counted several different groups offering themed tours. But more than press releases and the tourism-office embrace of the show, walking through the ancient city feels like walking through a fantasy novel.

I’ve visited countless old towns and ancient ruins and they’re just that, ruins. Dubrovnik is different; the city exists as it has for centuries and offers visitors a unique opportunity to walk through history in a way found nowhere else on the planet. I was enthralled and quickly fell in love with every aspect of the Old Town, a place I know I will visit again and again in the future. Even though this special feeling of awesome is sprinkled like fairy dust around town, there are some specific locations where Game of Thrones fans should visit if they want to relive the story in real life.

 

Bokar Fortress

 

St. Dominic Street

 

Lokrum Island (Outdoor scenes and the city of Quarth)

 

 

Lovrijenac fortress

 

Sponza palace

 

Pile Gate Entrance

 

Pile Harbor

 

By: Matt Long

Matt has a true passion for travel. As someone who has a bad case of the travel bug, Matt travels the world in order to share tips on where to go, what to see and how to experience the best the world has to offer.

14 thoughts on “Looking for the Game of Thrones in Dubrovnik”

  1. I visited Dubrovnik a couple of weeks ago. It is, as your photos show, a quite staggeringly beautiful city – just about everything in the old town is photogenic.

    Saying that, I didn’t love every aspect of the old town though. I thought it had a few flaws; most of which were linked to the far too many cruise passengers which flood into the city each day. They didn’t detract from the overall beauty of the place but they did impact on the experience (well they did for me).

    Dubrovnik is one of those incredible places that has to be seen, but the truth is I preferred Zadar as a Croatian city to actually spend a decent amount of time in.

    P.S. I did the Game of Thrones tour and it was a lot of fun. The guide was an archaeologist and a massive GOT fan who had also been an extra in the series. She was great for insights into the filming of the show as well as her city.

    1. I was also in Dubrovnik a couple of weeks ago – and Split – both places were just too inundated by tourists. Ironically, I’m a tourist as well, just making the situation worse – that’s the paradox I live with ;)

      In any case, I agree totally Jack – these places are amazing, but personally, I find it difficult to have a great experience. Perhaps returning in the depths of winter is a good idea?

      1. No Nate, don’t come in mid winter.
        However, if you can plan a visit in let’s say end of April/beginning of May.

        And (we live here in the middle of “nowhere”), if you want to get the best idea of it all, contact me and I’ll share a couple of “what, wow and holy shit’s” with you.

        Combine a visit to Dalmatia (this part of Croatia), visiting sleepy small coastal villages, a variety of rough nature and some more visits to them well known, but crowded highlights all people want to visit.

        Scroll my blog to get an idea.
        Cheers mate, greetings from the paradise, Pim.

    2. Lucky, I would have loved to have done the GoT tour but just didn’t have the time sadly. I hear you about the cruise ship passengers, it can be an issue in cities around the world. They didn’t both me personally but that may have been more luck than anything else. Overcrowding though is also a major reason why I typically only travel in the off-season. Just keeps me sane. :)

  2. In the months before my 2012 New Zealand trip, I got really sick of people asking my if I was going there because of the Lord of the Rings movies.

    “No”, I would say. “New Zealand is a REAL place. Middle Earth is not.”

  3. Glad you enjoyed your time in my home town…the next time you here and I know there will be a next time don’t forget to look me up for a beer.

  4. Wow, great pictures and I didn’t know that was the location for all those Game of Thrones locations. Huge fan of the show and the scenery!

  5. I was there in October 2013 and was blown away by the beauty of this area. I wasn’t aware of the GOT connection to the Walled City until I arrived and saw the Tower of the Undead. I asked merchants about the GOT connection and they all seemed to downplay it, just as well because I was more interested in the historic aspect of this georgeous region. My favorite port of call, and yes I was one of those cruise tourists that flooded the city. I saw 7 other ports starting in Barcelona, and when people ask, I tell them Dubrovnik was my favorite!!!!

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