‘House of the Dragon’ Filming Locations and Hidden Gems Revealed
House of the Dragon has renewed fan interest in the fantasy world created by author George R. R. Martin. More than three years after the divisive final season of Game of Thrones came to its controversial end — angering and disappointing many in the fan base — the new prequel is prompting a surge of online searches and posts about HBO’s take on Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novel series and the Westeros history book Fire & Blood.
Fans want to know more about ‘House of the Dragon’ filming locations
Since House of the Dragon made its debut on HBO on Sunday, August 21, Google Trends data has revealed that pics and videos of the big-budget production’s various filming locations are all over the internet. And fans are definitely interested in seeing what these locations look like IRL.
According to Irish Casino Slotbox, searches for “House of Dragons filming locations” increased 536 percent globally. The top filming locations on the list were St. Michael’s Mount, Kynance Cove, and Holywell Bay Beach — all in Cornwall, UK. With all three being so close together, they should expect an increase in foot traffic from House of the Dragon fans.
The House of the Dragon production team used St. Michael’s Mount to portray Driftmark in Blackwater Bay. While Kynance Cove doubled as the Valyrian camp. Holywell Bay Beach is where Daemon (Matt Smith) and Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) were filmed on the beach together. The other UK filming locations were Eldon Hill and Cave Dale in Derbyshire.
More hidden gems about the ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel
Another filming location that’s seen a surge of online interest is a place that’s already extremely popular with hikers and tourists — Iceland’s famous glacier Svínafellsjökull at Skaftafell National Park.
The village of Penha Garcia in Portugal — site of the castle ruins — has also seen an increase in online search activity. But, nowhere near the numbers of the UK and Iceland locations. It’s more of a hidden gem, like Castillo de La Calahorra in Granada, Spain, and Ciudad Monumental de Cáceres, a Unesco World Heritage city.
‘House of the Dragon’ has been a big hit so far for HBO
HBO announced that 10 million people watched the House of the Dragon premiere when it aired. When adding in the viewers who watched it on DVR and streaming after the fact, the numbers are getting close to 25 million.
What’s more, the live viewers number didn’t go down in week two. Instead, they increased to 10.2 million. So far, it looks like House of the Dragon is a huge hit for HBO. They’ve already renewed the series for a second season, making it clearer than ever that the premium cabler is going all-in on the Game of Thrones universe.
However, when they do return for season 2, it will be without co-showrunner Miguel Sipochnik. He has decided to step down from that role and develop new projects. But, he will remain as an executive producer.
House of the Dragon airs Sunday nights on HBO, with all episodes also streaming on HBO Max.
