A gateway to the world without ever needing to leave your couch, movies and television shows feature some of the most incredible destinations on Earth. And of course, with its stunning scenery, historic buildings and iconic cities, Europe is one of the most-filmed locations in the entire world.
And while it would take a lifetime to list every piece of modern media featuring European locales, these five series and films will inspire travelers to explore Europe’s many lands.
House of the Dragon
The exciting prequel to Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon follows the reign of House Targaryen as viewers watch the drama between Princess Rhaenyra, Daemon Targaryen, King Viserys and Alicent Hightower unfold. While the show is filmed in various European destinations, there are a few filming locations that are open to the public.
In England, visitors will recognize the rolling green hills of Castleton as the home of House Arryn and the Eyrie, one of the Great Houses of Westeros where unlucky opponents were shown plummeting to their death from a moon door. Not to be confused with Mont Saint-Michel, England’s St. Michael’s Mount in Mount’s Bay also makes an appearance as the fictional city of Driftmark in Blackwater Bay.
Over in Portugal, the bright red roofs of Monsanto ooze with the classic Game of Thrones (GOT) aesthetic making it easy for viewers and visitors alike to picture the historic village as Dragonstone, the ancestral home of House Targaryen. Spain is another European country predominantly featured in the show with Granada’s La Calahorra acting as Pentos, a seaside city in the GOT world and Plasencia playing the role of a reimagined Kings Landing.
John Wick 4
A whirl-wind adventure from Tokyo to Paris to Berlin, in the fourth installment of the popular John Wick series, viewers tag along as hitman John Wick fights for his life in an attempt to escape the biggest and baddest opponents the High Table has to offer.
A visual feast for the eyes, viewers surely noticed Parisian landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and even the Louvre as Wick tore through the City of Love. Between scenes of epic car chases, hand-to-hand combat and sword fights, eagle-eyed viewers may have noticed Palais Garnier’s Grand Foyer and the Palace of Versailles sneaking into frame as both ornately decorated locales were heavily featured in the film.
To the northeast, Berlin’s Kraftwerk Berlin acted as the perfect backdrop for a grungy club scene at Club Himmel und Hölle where Wick chased down a character named Killa in a memorable fashion. And while viewers may have thought they were in Japan, early rooftop scenes meant to represent a hotel in Osaka were actually filmed at Berlin’s Internationales Congress Centrum, a large convention hall not far from the city center.
The Great
A self-proclaimed “occasionally true story,” Hulu’s The Great is a comedic retelling of the life and times of Russia’s Catherine the Great. The show is set in 18th-century Russia and features no shortage of over-the-top costumes, stunning scenery and well-decorated castles. It’s enough to make anyone wish they could live as a royal — minus perhaps the snark and politics of it all. Interestingly, despite being set in Russia, much of the show’s filming took place in Europe, namely in Italy and England.
Fans of the series will recognize Italy’s Royal Palace of Caserta as the court palace of Saint Petersburg with its sprawling gardens, detailed sculptures, impressive fountains and grand marble staircase. And while travelers won’t spot any lifelike statues of Peter the Great hanging around, they’ll still find it easy to picture themselves in a starring role in their favorite historical romp.
Of course, Caserta isn’t the only royal residency featured on the show, England’s Belvoir Castle, Castle Howard and Hever Castle all have some screentime as well. Additionally, England’s Hatfield House acted as the backdrop for scenes depicting the castle’s corridor and Peter III’s council room.
Jurassic World Dominion
Kidnapping, genetically modified beasts, the threat of ecological collapse … this film has it all. In the third installment of the Jurassic World series, Chris Pratt’s character Owen, and Bryce Dallas Howard’s Claire learn the hard way that allowing dinosaurs to freely roam the Earth isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. As the world erupts into chaos, audiences can spot velociraptors, stegosauruses, mosasaurus and more taking over a variety of notable filming locations across the pond.
While the film featured sets in places like Minely Woods in England, Winterfold Forest in London and even a few shots of the Swiss Alps, the most notable destination shown was Malta, a small archipelago in the Mediterranean. Upon arriving at the popular island getaway, Owen and Claire discover there’s trouble in paradise as Triq Il-Mandragg is transformed into an illegal dinosaur market with Fort St. Angelo and Grand Harbour acting as a hub for the action.
Later, in a desperate escape from a pack of Atrociraptors, Claire is seen leaping from rooftop to rooftop including those of St Lawrence’s Catholic Church and the Maritime Museum. Finally, the sequence comes to a peak with — what else — an epic car chase where Owen and Claire are shown racing through narrow city streets — including St Nicholas Street and St Ursula Street — before confronting a dino-infested St George’s Square and escaping through Victoria Gate.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
For a quest from the Land of Fire and Ice to the Emerald Isle viewers can turn to Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, a new flick based on the popular board game of the same name. Starring a group of ragtag adventurers, the heroes of the film find their journey to reclaim an ancient relic interrupted when they clash with Sofina the Red Wizard.
The film kicks off in Tollymore Forest Park, a backdrop so dreamy and green that it’s unmistakably Northern Ireland. Not too far from the park, the fantasy vibes continue with Glenarm Castle playing an important role as the royal dwelling’s exterior — namely Barbican Gate — enjoyed some screentime and the castle’s interior set the scene for an action-packed robbery sequence. Of course, with its otherworldly landscapes, Ireland’s natural wonders were on full display with the Giant’s Causeway and the Dun Briste Sea Stack both acting as landscape eye candy throughout the film.
Speaking of majestic landscapes, the action continued in Iceland where shots depicting icy waters and snowcapped mountaintops instantly transport viewers to a fantasy land. True to its name, Iceland brought the fire and the ice with an erupting Fagradalsfjall volcano (yes, that was a real eruption!) taking center stage. In addition to Iceland and Ireland, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves also featured several scenes in the UK including shots at Wells Castle, Bourne Wood, Alnwick Castle’s Lion Bridge and Hen Mountain.
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