Where was Game of Thrones Season 6 filmed?

No doubt this is one of the best TV series of all the times, and season after season it continues showing new and wonderful filming locations. In this post we are focusing on the best new locations where Game of Thrones has been filmed in season 6.

Northern Ireland continues serving as the camp base for this complex production. Spain and especially Catalonia picked up the slack of Croatia, that for the first time since the beginning of the series, is almost not going to be used as set for King's Landing anymore.

In Spain you can find arid lands and deserts like in Morocco (used in season 3), a country that once more was dropped as filming location. The same for Iceland (season 2 and 3) and Malta (1). You can find some of the top filming locations of Game of Thrones for season 3 here following this link. Just in case you haven't watched yet the latest episodes, we'll try to keep it spoiler-free as much as possible:


Game of Thrones filming locations in Spain

The steps of the cathedral in the magnificent city of Girona were used as the exteriors for the Great Sept of Baelor in King's Landing. Image by Dr Zoidberg

This image is a combination of found locations and CGI. The top of the cathedral has been cut, to host the temple's dome and towers in its place. Image courtesy of HBO

The scenes of the theater group representing a play were shot in Jurats square, where the Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men made a cameo acting as musicians. The hall of the library of the city of Oldtown was shot on location in the abbey of Sant Pere de Galligants, at the other side of the bridge. Image courtesy of HBO

Many more places in Girona served as the dark city of Braavos like the Pujada de Sant Domènec (pictured), and other narrow streets of the medieval city. Image by Thierry llansades

Ayra fighting in Braavos, with the Gothic apse of the cathedral of Girona in the background.
Image courtesy of HBO

The 11th-century Santa Florentina Castle in Canet de Mar is a superb mix of Gothic and Modernist architecture. It is doubling as Horn Hill, the seat of House Tarly, where Sam's family comes from.
Image by Castell de Santa Florentina

The semi-desert landscape of Bardenas Reales badlands near Tudela (navarre), is the perfect setting for the Dothraki Sea, the arid vast steppe where the horse-mounted warriors live. Image by Xabi

The impressive silhouette of Zafra Castle in Guadalajara as the Tower of Joy.
Image by Borjaanimal

The HBO production shot on location in the coastal fortified village of Peniscola, topped by a castle built by the Knights Templar. Image by Vaquero Francis

All the filming spots in Peniscola served as Meereen, the city conquered by Daenerys Targaryen in Slaver's Bay.
Image courtesy of HBO

A new set representing Vaes Dothrak (the only city in the Dothraki Sea), was built in the natural park of Sierra de Alhamilla, near the village of Pechina (Almería). Image by David Luque

The fortified citadel of the Alcazaba of Almería as Sunspear, capital of Dorne, one of the of the Seven Kingdoms.
Image by Jebulon

Also in Almeria province, shooting took place in the watchtower pictured called Mesa Roldán (as Meereen), on the Tabernas Desert (Dothraki Sea) and in the labyrinth of caves known as Sorbas Gypsum Karst near Cabo de Gata.
Image by J.M Martin Quesada and HBO

The Roman bridge of Córdoba is doubling as the Long Bridge of the free city of Volantis.
Image by Fjmc65

The palace of the Alcázar of Seville, originally developed by Muslim kings, is the Water Gardens in Dorne.
Image courtesy of HBO

Game of Thrones is headquartered at the Titanic Studios in Belfast. Pictured, the new set in the small village of Corbet that served as Riverrun, (the former seat of House Tully). Image by Jamcall

Part of the plot in Castle Black is set at the abandoned Magheramorne quarry, where even a functional elevator was built. After George R. R. Martin visited the place, he said that "It’s a pretty spectacular, yet miserable location [...] the actors in the mood of being at the end of the world". Image courtesy of HBO

Another key location is the detailed Winterfell set in the little village of Moneyglass.
Image courtesy of HBO

Some more filming locations in Northern Ireland, according to the Game of Thrones Wikia are: Garron Point, the Magilligan peninsula, the ruins of Shane's Castle, Carncastle, Aghanloo Wood, the grounds at Saintfield (where a major battle takes place)... Image courtesy of HBO

...Carnlough Harbour as a canal in Bravos (pictured), Ballintoy port returning as Pyke, the coast near Glenarm, the disused quarry in Knocklayd Mountain nearby in Ballycastle, and Murlough Bay.
Image by Jerry Dohnal

For further information, there are plenty of interesting books like the best seller The World of Ice & Fire from George R. R. Martin, including 170 pages with the history of Westeros and the lands beyond. To go behind the scenes we recommend you the two parts of Inside HBO's Game of Thrones filled with a lot of unpublished set photos, visual effects art, costume designs and much more about the TV production. Also there is a nice fully illustrated guide to the key Noble Houses of Westeros: Seasons 1-5 and the beautifully composed Pop-Up Guide to Westeros. Finally here is a link to the essential 5-book boxed Set from the Song of Ice and Fire series and to the so far most complete Blu-ray edition (Seasons 1 to 5):