Where Fans Can Visit the Real ‘House of the Dragon’ Filming Locations
Queer fans of the award-winning HBO series Game of Thrones have been waiting for a few years for the premiere of its prequel House of the Dragon. Well, last Sunday the wait was finally over! Nearly 10 million people tuned in to watch the new series, making it the most watched series premiere in HBO and HBO Max history, according to the media company.
In case you didn’t know, House of the Dragon takes place more than two centuries before the reign of Daenerys Targaryen also known as the Mother of Dragons. But we’re giddy with excitement to see how the pages of George R.R. Martin’s novel Fire & Blood come to life to tell the story of when the House of Targaryen was at its peak. In its first episode, the show has already started to give some serious queer vibes between female characters Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower… and more to come we’re sure.
Well, if you’re a GOT or HOD fan. You should consider checking out the real filming locations where all the medieval drama will play out. We pulled together this list of places where House of the Dragon was reportedly filmed for its first season.
Caceres and Trujillo, Spain
Used in season 7 of Games of Thrones, Cáceres and Trujillo – two towns in Spain’s Extremadura region – are also used for the exterior scenes set in King’s Landing for House of the Dragon. In fact, Cáceres’ old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site making the town the perfect backdrop to shoot the Westeros capital’s alleys with its authentic blend of Roman, Islamic, Northern Gothic, and Italian Renaissance styles.
Cornwall, England
The beach scene featured in one of the House of Dragon’s promotional photos of Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen was shot at Holywell Bay Beach just a 24-minute drive north of Cornwall, England. Visit Cornwall’s chief executive Malcolm Bell told The Guardian newspaper that he expects the crowds to converge on the real-life filming locations and local beauty spots that also include St. Michael’s Mount and Mounts Bay.
Leavesden Studios, Watford, England
For the interior shots of House of the Dragon, the production drew used Warner Bros. Leavesden Studios in Watford for the more traditionally built sets including a state-of-the-art LED video stage, constructed to add real-time backgrounds to scenes like this friendly dragon encounter.
Monsanto, Portugal
A three-hour drive southeast of Porto, Portugal, the village of Monsanto was also a filming location for House of the Dragon. We’re not sure exactly how it will be used yet in the medieval series, but production crews are rumored to do some filming outside Portugal’s Penha Garcia Castle, too! Both the castle and the village are located on hills which give locals and tourists amazing panoramic views.
Surrey and Hampshire, England
We can’t confirm it, but rumors were swirling around that Caesar’s Camp, located on the border of Surrey and Hampshire, was used to shoot tourney scenes, which may have included the filming of the jousting competition in episode 1 that features Prince Daemon Targaryen.
Derbyshire, England
Speaking of Daemon Targaryen, actor Matt Smith was reportedly spotted filming in the Peak District area in Derbyshire. Other nearby filming locations include Cave Dale, Eldon Hill Quarry, Castleton’s Market Place, and the Peak District National Park. We’ll be watching to see where these real-life locations will pop up during the first season of House of the Dragon.
