So I’m basically a huge Game of Thrones fan. And for those of you who don’t know, a large majority of filming occurred in Dubrovnik to set the location of “King’s Landing.”
I felt that it would be a missed opportunity (nay, an outcry, an irresponsibility) if I didn’t go on a Game of Thrones walking tour. And boy am I glad I did.
Not only did I get side by side comparisons of the locations, I also got to hear about inside stories from locals who have witnessed the filming every summer.
Fun facts I learned:
- Due to the secrecy of the plot, the Game of Thrones production team would have to shut down large parts of Old Town to film. Imagine being a tourist and spending thousands of dollars to come to Dubrovnik and then be told that the city walls are closed for days on end.
- Apparently Peter Dinklage is very similar to his character in the show. One night he was too drunk to make it back to his hotel (the cast stayed at the Hilton Imperial), so he passed out in a random hostel near the bar. And now that hostel charges double. Naturally.
- Most of the locals (especially the hotel workers) disliked Natalie Dormer (Margaery Tyrell) because she was very demanding and unsociable. They were very adamant about this. Huh.
- The locals were very upset to see Dubrovnik altered by so much CGI. I could understand the frustration (having put up with an entire production team in your backyard for 6 weeks), but I personally understood it. The show is about a fake world – not Dubrovnik. Of course it’s not going to look like Dubrovnik.
So below are my side by side comparisons of the scenes. I found the differences to be so fascinating!
Sansa and Little Finger discuss escape
Joffrey’s Name Day
King’s Landing Riot
“Power is power”
Cersei’s Walk of Shame
If you’re a massive fan, I would highly recommend taking the tour. It was so much fun.
Later that evening, I took the cable car up the large hill to get a sweeping view over Dubrovnik and the surrounding islands. Honestly, I cannot get enough of the sunsets here. As I’m sure you can tell 😉