Game of Thrones is an epic fantasy television series created for HBO by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, based on George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels. Running from 2011 to 2019, it follows rival noble houses, exiled heirs, warriors, schemers and supernatural threats across the continents of Westeros and Essos, gradually building toward a struggle over power, survival and the fate of the realm itself. What made the series so influential was not just its scale, but the way it combined court intrigue, war, mythology and sudden brutality with an unusually large ensemble cast.
Although the story spans fictional continents, the series was built from a remarkably wide range of real locations, with Northern Ireland serving as the main production base and Paint Hall studios in Belfast used for many recurring sets. Northern Ireland also supplied major outdoor locations such as the Dark Hedges for the Kingsroad and Ballintoy Harbour for parts of the Iron Islands and Dragonstone storyline. Croatia became especially important for the southern political world of the series, with Dubrovnik standing in for King’s Landing through its walls, fortresses and stone streets. Iceland was used for the far North and beyond-the-Wall material, giving the series its glaciers, lava fields and frozen wilderness, while Spain later added places such as Seville and other historic settings for Dorne, Meereen and later King’s Landing-related scenes. Taken together, these locations gave the show an unusually rich physical geography, from bleak northern landscapes and rugged coasts to sunlit fortified cities and monumental palace environments.
Diocletian’s Palace
Diocletian’s Palace has been used in several productions, most famously "Game of Thrones" (2011–2019) and the Netflix thriller "The Weekend Away" (2022).
Old Castle Ward
Old Castle Ward and the surrounding estate are best known from Game of Thrones, where the historic farmyard and nearby areas stood in for Winterfell.
Þingvellir National Park
Þingvellir National Park appears in Game of Thrones. The park’s dramatic rifts and rocky paths are used for parts of the Vale and for terrain in the North.
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