Culture
15 Insta-Famous Filming Locations You Can Visit
Slide Nr 1No doubt a lot of movie magic comes from the talent of set builders and special-effects experts, but sometimes, there’s no substitute for the perfect real-life location. From historic castles to otherworldly deserts, add a unique excursion to your next trip by visiting these incredible – and incredibly Instagrammable – places seen in some of the world’s most popular films and TV series.
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15 Insta-Famous Filming Locations You Can Visit.
Slide Nr 2Dubrovnik, Croatia (Game of Thrones) – This scenic shoreside city is home to both the Jesuit staircase, where Cersei took her infamous Walk of Shame, and the Minčeta Tower, aka Qarth’s House of the Undying, making it a must-visit for Game of Thrones mega-fans. What’s more, the Meereen catacombs (the Unesco-listed Diocletian’s Palace), the Iron Bank (the Cathedral of St James) and the palace gardens in King’s Landing (the Trsteno Arboretum) are also within a few hours’ drive. Road trip, anyone? [Photo via Getty Images]
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15 Insta-Famous Filming Locations You Can Visit.
Slide Nr 3Glenfinnan Viaduct, Inverness-shire, Scotland (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) – We all remember the Hogwarts Express’ hair-raising near-collision with the airborne Ford Anglia, but in less dramatic moments, the imposing Victorian-era Glenfinnan Viaduct may have caught your eye. The structure is easy to reach on foot from nearby visitor car parks, and an extra slog up the slope will reward you with striking views over the picturesque valley. You can even cross the viaduct on the Jacobite steam train – the closest you’ll get to boarding the film’s magical locomotive.
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15 Insta-Famous Filming Locations You Can Visit.
Slide Nr 5Sad Hill Cemetery, Burgos, Spain (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) – This celebrated spaghetti Western culminates in a Mexican stand-off in an unusual circular graveyard known as Sad Hill Cemetery. The site’s 5,000 grave markers, purpose-built by Spanish soldiers for the shoot, were almost lost after filming until fans from around the world came together to uncover them, as chronicled in the 2017 documentary Sad Hill Unearthed. Now restored to its former glory, the cemetery is primed and ready for a cowboy-themed photo session. [Photo: santiago lopez-pastor/Wikimedia Commons]
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15 Insta-Famous Filming Locations You Can Visit.
Slide Nr 6The Mirabell Garden, Salzburg, Austria (The Sound of Music) – Much of this hit musical was made in and around the real von Trapp family’s hometown of Salzburg, including the 17th-century Mirabell Gardens, where the children make their way in song and dance around the Pegasus fountain and up the steps leading to the Rosenhügel for a triumphant final “do”, led by their songbird governess. It’s also a great place to take in views over the Salzburg Cathedral and the Hohensalzburg Fortress – and snap a quick pic.
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15 Insta-Famous Filming Locations You Can Visit.
Slide Nr 7Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, USA (Rocky) – The city of Brotherly Love is full of locations from this beloved boxing saga – enough to merit dedicated Rocky tours– but running up the 72 “Rocky steps” is considered a rite of passage for even the most casual fans. The staircase can be found at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, alongside a bronze statue of the boxer created for Rocky III, plus a near-constant stream of movie buffs and selfie snappers. Truly dedicated fans can even attempt the boxer’s training run, but be forewarned: the real route is almost 50 kilometres long. [Photo: DerekPhilipAu/Wikimedia Commons]
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15 Insta-Famous Filming Locations You Can Visit.
Slide Nr 8Wadi Rum, Jordan (Dune) – This Jordanian national park’s imposing granite rocks and red-sand dunes have made it a go-to for directors seeking a supernatural landscape, including those for Star Wars, Prometheus and The Martian. In Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi phenomenon, it served as the backdrop for the planet of Arrakis. Book a jeep tour – it’s not easy for visitors to navigate the desert! – and keep your camera ready to capture the so-called Valley of the Moon.
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15 Insta-Famous Filming Locations You Can Visit.
Slide Nr 9Crema, Italy (Call Me by Your Name) – The sun-dappled Italian landscapes and sleepy summer towns of Luca Guadagnino’s masterpiece are among of the most memorable aspects of the film, and a visit to them is also an excellent way to get away from well-beaten tourist routes and discover a more authentic side of the bel paese. For the perfect photo op, sprawl nonchalantly across a spindly chair outside the cathedral in the town of Crema – preferably in Elio and Oliver’s uniform of short shorts, sunnies and a baggy shirt.
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15 Insta-Famous Filming Locations You Can Visit.
Slide Nr 10Egham, UK (You) – The fourth season of this Netflix thriller takes its lovelorn anti-hero across the pond to an unnamed university – in reality known as Royal Holloway, University of London – an hour’s train ride away from the city centre. With its palatial red brick founder’s building and grassy quadrangles, complete with a statue of Queen Victoria, the institution epitomises the stereotype of a British university, and every corner seems made for a quick pic. [Photo via Getty Images]
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15 Insta-Famous Filming Locations You Can Visit.
Slide Nr 11Seaside, Florida (The Truman Show) – You may be surprised to learn that the twee faux town of Seahaven Island is not just a soundstage – even if it played one in the movie. The very real resort community of Seaside was selected for its white picket fences and eerily flawless small-town Americana vibes. To get your shot, head to Truman’s house at 31 Natchez Street, which looks much the same as it does on screen. And in case I don’t see ya … [JR P/Wikimedia-Commons]
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15 Insta-Famous Filming Locations You Can Visit.
Slide Nr 12The Temples of Angkor, Cambodia (Lara Croft: Tomb Raider) – One of the more successful video-game-to-film adaptations, this early-noughties flick sent the intrepid archaeologist racing through mystical jungle-smothered ruins to recover an ancient artefact. Parts of the film were shot on location in the ancient city of Angkor in modern-day Cambodia, including the Bayon and Ta Prohm temples. The unique archaeological site is a major tourist draw, with tours available for those keen to discover its history – if you can stop imagining yourself fighting off the stone temple guards.
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15 Insta-Famous Filming Locations You Can Visit.
Slide Nr 13Cantacuzino Castle, Bușteni, Romania (Wednesday) – As the homeland of the original Dracula, Romania’s castles are perhaps the epitome of “goth” within the cultural consciousness, so it’s no shock that the morose Miss Adams made her way there for her eponymous Netflix series; even her brief stint in an all-American high school was actually filmed at a university in Bucharest. Of all the locations used, our top pick is Cantacuzino Castle, the setting for Nevermore Academy, which appears almost as if built for the role. It also houses an impressive art gallery to check out once you’ve got your picture. [Photo: Costea Stefan/Wikimedia Commons]
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15 Insta-Famous Filming Locations You Can Visit.
Slide Nr 14Maya Bay, Thailand (The Beach) – With a plot centred around the magic of a mythical beach, the location for this Leo DiCaprio-led film had to be somewhere truly spectacular. This secluded bay in the Phi Phi Leh Islands slid effortlessly into its role as paradise. The beach’s natural splendour has made it a hot spot for backpackers and day-trippers from nearby Phuket, so there are plenty of boats waiting to whisk you away to its white sands, turquoise waters and rocky cliffs.
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15 Insta-Famous Filming Locations You Can Visit.
Slide Nr 15Ait Benhaddou, Morocco (Gladiator) – This extraordinarily well-preserved ksar (fortified village built of compacted earth) in the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains dates back to the 17th century; however, you might know it best from 20th-century Hollywood. As well as playing the hamlet behind the colosseum in Gladiator, the spot has an enviable résumé of blockbuster appearances that includes The Mummy, Lawrence of Arabia, Game of Thrones and more. All you have to do is choose which to reference in your Instagram caption.
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15 Insta-Famous Filming Locations You Can Visit.
Slide Nr 16Neuschwanstein, Germany (Cinderella) – This Bavarian castle isn’t from one movie – it’s from all your childhood favourites. In addition to adapting a number of European folk tales in his works, Walt Disney is said to have been inspired by the architecture of this German castle when he created the ultimate fairy-tale palace that now appears at the start of every Disney picture. The castle is about a two-hour drive from the regional capital of Munich, so you can easily squeeze it into your Oktoberfest jaunt.
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