Blockbuster TV series Game of Thrones ended three years ago, leaving many devoted fans wanting more.
This week they’ll finally get to watch a long-awaited prequel series, House of the Dragon, depicting a dynastic feud between branches of the Targaryen family.
Available on Sky Atlantic or streaming service NOW from 22 August, the new show has the same lavish, Medieval-fantasy aesthetic as the original series, with lashings of castles, craggy countryside and spike-furnished war rooms.
But where did the House of the Dragon team capture its dark, atmospheric scenery - and did the crew return to GOT favourites Northern Ireland and Croatia?
Here’s everything we know.
Cornwall
The shoot for House of the Dragon started in Cornwall, with a two-week stint soaking up the rugged scenery in the far southwest of England. St Michael’s Mount, a picturesque island and UK landmark, was used as the House of Valayron seat, Driftmark, according to Metro. Linked to the Cornish mainland at Marazion, this forested island spirals up to a picturesque castle with parts dating back to the 14th century. Day trips to this photogenic spot deliver on historic curios, too: you can see a crossbow, a tidal clock and a mummified cat among other treasures. Take one of the daily ferries or walk over when the tide is out; tickets are from £14 for an adult and £7 for a child.
Cornwall’s wild Kynance Cove and Holywell Bay were also used by crew as ancient-looking locations in the show: actors Matt Smith and Emma D’Arcy were spotted on Holywell Bay’s sands in summer 2021, with the bay also making an appearance in the show’s trailer. Props and camera rigs were also set up on Kynance Cove, a sandy beach known for its enormous, craggy rocks and cliffs. You’ll find it along the Lizard Peninsula, close to several lovely campsites and Cornish hotels, as well as a portion of the South West Coast Path.
Monsanto, Portugal
This under-the-radar Portuguese village was once voted “the most Portuguese village in Portugal”, and still attracts photographers and film crews with its curious round boulders plonked between quaint stone houses. The House of the Dragon team filmed at its Castle of Monsanto, a medieval seat built from granite which seems to rise naturally out of the mound of stone beneath. The village is found in the far east of the country, near the Spanish border, and can be visited from the capital, Lisbon (a three-hour drive away) or northern city Porto (three hours 20 minutes).
The Peak District
England’s glorious Peak District also has a starring role in the new series - actors including Dr Who’s Matt Smith, who plays Prince Daemon Targaryen, were seen filming at both Castleton and at Mam Tor in 2021. The Derbyshire region is famous for its scenic walks and stately homes, with heathery, rock-studded landscapes continuing unspoiled for miles. Castleton is a particularly beautiful historic village, with the crumbling remains of Norman fortress Peveril Castle sitting atmospherically above it. There are also four caves to visit, with dramatic stalactites dripping like candle wax into the eerie dark space. Mam Tor - aka the “shivering mountain” - is a 517-metre green peak you can climb close to Castleton; at the top you’ll get incredible views of the surrounding countryside
Cáceres and Trujillo, Spain
The House of the Dragon crew decamped to Spain’s western Extremadura region to film in the atmospheric fortified towns of Cáceres and Trujillo. Not far over the Portuguese border from Monsanto, Extremaduran capital Cáceres has a mishmash of historic architectural styles and influences, from Renaissance palaces to Roman city walls, Moorish structures to Romanesque and Gothic churches. A 35-minute drive away, Trujillo is renowned as one of this region’s most beautiful towns, with plenty of 15th- and 16th-century architecture as well as a Moorish palace and much-photographed central square. Actors dressed as Targaryen soldiers were spotted filming there last year. To get to Extremadura, you can take the train from Madrid, Seville or Lisbon (there’s no international airport in the area); to make the most of the scattered sights here, you’ll need a rental car.
