Finding King’s Landing in Dubrovnik

 

As much as I had been fascinated by Dubrovnik for years, I was pulled to it only after binge-watching Game of Thrones, and craved to be a part of that fascinating world. I was, of course, not the only wanting to do so and even in the month of May, Dubrovnik was swarming with people. The city has so much more to offer but gauging by groups of people huddled together over Game of Thrones tours happening in every corner, it was quite evident who the real culprit of all that overcrowding was.

But then can you blame anyone for that? Westeros world is just so grey and exciting, and as someone who obsesses over admires it aplenty, walking around Dubrovnik and spotting familiar locations was a whole lot of fun. Not to mention, also a chance to relive some of the best moments.

There are tons of tours which take visitors across the city in the hunt for King’s Landing but then isn’t doing your own thing always so much better? I used King’s Landing Dubrovnik website on what to look out for and then found some places on my own as well.

So, are you a fan? Then read on to find different filming locations of some iconic Game of Thrones scenes.

Also, Spoiler alert.

Pile Gate

Pile Gate ((Pronounced as Pee-le as corrected by my host)) is the main entrance to the medieval city of Dubrovnik as well as to King’s Landing, and has as such featured in many scenes with characters entering the capital city. One important scene shot here is the one in which Joffrey is attacked by a mob with a riot breaking out soon after.

Minčeta Tower

This tower depicted House of the Undying in Season 2 and is where Daenerys goes to find her missing dragons. It is easily recognisable for its distinct shape. It is not free to visit and requires a ticket to the city walls.

Quick tip – Spend some time around the part of wall around Minčeta tower as it is at a higher ground and perfect for panoramic views of the city

This pic below is of the tower itself and on stepping inside, I could immediately place a couple of short scenes that have been shot here. One of them is where the master smith is tortured who then reveals Gendry as Robert’s bastard.

Jesuit staircase

This Game of Thrones location was the most crowded I found in the whole city and rightly so. These are the famous steps where the terrifying Cersei’s walk of shame was shot. Quite an irony it is then that these steps lead to a church, Church of St Ignatus.

Looking down from the steps, it takes one’s imagination to replace all those pretty restaurants in the narrow street with angry crowds booing Cersei as she walked along.

Also read: Exploring the medieval city of Dubrovnik 

St Dominika Street

These steps on St Dominika street were used for the scene where a local instigates the crowd against King Joffrey and the Lannisters. The street is actually quite a beautiful one and was used in many market scenes during the series. It was also used to film part of Cersei’s walk of shame.

Dubrovnik West Harbour / Pier

This location is quite an important one and lies enclosed with Bokar Fortress on one side and Fort Lovrijenac looming on its cliff on the other. It served as the backdrop for the iconic battle of Blackwater Bay. Think of that wildfire blowing up Stannis’ fleet. Not just that, it was used in many scenes as an entry and exit point for King’s Landing via sea. One scene you may recall is when Sansa and that slimy Littlefinger discuss ways to escape King’s Landing. Also when Myrcella is packed off for Dorne.

Also, this bit below is part of the cliff on which Fort Lovrijenac stands and was used for the scene where soldiers are ordered to kill Robert’s bastards. Recall kids being thrown into the water? Shivers.

Fort Lovrijenac

Fort Lovrijenac lies outside the city walls and can be accessed via Pile Gate. It most definitely should be visited not just because its included in the city walls ticket (duh), but because it serves as Red Keep for most seasons of the show.

Some of the important scenes shot within its walls are Joffrey’s name day celebration and Cersei confronting Littlefinger and explaining what power truly is. Walking around in its courtyard and terraces (and by watching King’s Landing scenes shortly after returning home, ha!) I could identify PLENTY of Red Keep scenes at Fort Lovrijenac.

Its not the easiest to reach, and will require a bit of an uphill climb but then the views along the way should keep you busy, especially the ones looking back to the city.

Bokar Fortress

Part of the city walls, the fortress is not accessible to public which I found out after trying a few times to find the entrance. It appears a few times on the show, specifically when Tyrion and Varys strategize defense of the city against Stannis’ forces. They of course were able to access the fortress but not us common folk.

Lokrum island which lies off the coast of Dubrovnik served as the setting for the city of Qarth and can be reached via a short ferry ride. Unfortunately, as much as we tried to squeeze that in our two days in Dubrovnik, it would have meant missing out on just wandering about in the city. Priorities, you see.

Hope this post will help you enjoy King’s Landing in Dubrovnik. This is by no means an exhaustive list, and if you have visited some other locations, I’d love to hear about them in the comments. Who knows I might just use that as an excuse for another visit.

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