Romantic islands, castles, fortresses, small villages, big cities or sun-drenched dream beaches: all over the world there are places that have become famous as film locations. They attract tourists who want to indulge in dreams on the spot.
Where the “Big Apple” pulsates: New York, USA
The list of films shot in the megacity of New York is endless. It ranges from “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”, “Spiderman” and “Ghostbusters” to “Man in Black” or “Kevin Alone in New York”. World-famous highlights en masse make New York an unforgettable destination in addition to the famous filming locations.
Sunny Greece: Skiathos and Skopelos, Greece
Small bays on the clear, blue sea, picturesque villages and fragrant pine forests make the Greek Mediterranean islands of Skiathos and Skopelos not only a holiday idyll like many others in sunny Greece. At the latest when film fans discover the well-known wedding chapel enthroned on a rock, where Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan spontaneously marry à la Donna and Sam at the end of the first “Mamma Mia” film, everyone shouts enthusiastically: “Mamma Mia, how beautiful it is here!”.
Lake Walchensee: charming Tyrol
All children and their parents and grandparents probably also know “Vicky the Viking”. Very few people know that the well-known films were shot in the Austrian Kaiserwinkl northeast of Kufstein, more precisely on the beautiful Walchsee. Due to the particularly attractive surroundings in all seasons, the destination is also suitable as a filming location for various Viking films afterwards.
Magical: Isle of Skye, Scotland
Scotland is full of magic here: The realization not only led pop star Harry Styles to shoot the video for “Sign of the Times” on the island, but also various British film and series productions were created on the wildly romantic Scottish island. From the island town of Portree, visitors explore the cinematic landscapes with their medieval castles and picturesque fishing villages.
Wildly romantic island of Skelling Michael, Ireland
The Skellings are also known as the “Great Skelling” and are located about 12 kilometres off the Irish coast of Kerry. As filming locations for the “Star Wars” films “The Force Awakens” and “The Last Jedi”, they have become a place of pilgrimage for film fans from all over the world. With its medieval paths, an ancient monastic settlement and a historic monastery complex, it was the ideal shelter for Luke Skywalker in the films. Today, the wildly romantic rocky island is an extremely sought-after travel destination.
Location: London City, England
The imposing Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey as the coronation site of the British monarchs, the blows of Big Ben or the London Eye Ferris wheel, which opens up a panoramic view far over the city on the Thames: all this is London. The international megacity offers plenty of hotspots for all film lovers at Kings Cross station with platform 9 3/4 from the Harry Potter films, with James Bond’s M16 headquarters or with reminiscences of Sherlock Holmes or Paddington Bear.
Beautiful pearl on the Adriatic: Dubrovnik, Croatia
Croatian Dubrovnik is considered one of the most beautiful cities in the entire Mediterranean region – and so the romantic town is also called the “Pearl of the Adriatic”. One of the most successful series of recent years “Game of Thrones” was filmed here. The venues were the Pile Gate and the Lovrijenac Fortress, as well as various parts of the historic city walls, especially for the cinematic representation of the cities of King’s Landing and Quarth. In addition, Dubrovnik served as the location for various scenes of Star Wars Episode 8.
Maya Bay on Koh Phi Phi, Thailand
Leonardo DiCaprio first experienced the ideal dream of every Thailand backpacker here in his film “The Beach”. Later, the supposed ideal turned into a nightmare. Nevertheless, Maya Bay on the Thai island of Koh Phi Phi is considered an ultimate dream beach.
Our tip:
You can also find more legendary filming locations in the book “Scene by Scene to Discover the World” by Andrea David (published by Conbook-Verlag, ISBN 978-3-95889-435-8).
Information about the book:
Germany’s best-known film tourist, Andrea David, has been travelling to legendary filming locations for 18 years, telling of her discoveries and encounters in a visually powerful way and offering unusual insights behind the scenes. The highlight: She holds photos of iconic scenes in her hand and inserts them exactly into the surroundings of famous filming locations in her pictures.
Her travel book for film fans also provides inspiration and tips for anyone who wants to discover the locations of their favourite films and series for themselves. Because one thing is clear: Films and series always create new places of longing. Be it the coastal town where Hitchcock made “The Birds” scream, the valley through which the dinosaurs ran in “Jurassic Park”, or the forest that became Winterfell in “Game of Thrones” – or Highway 163 in the US state Utah with the place of longing Monument Valley on the horizon, where “Forrest Gump” has finished his march.
Entertaining travel reports with numerous photos and over 200 film tourism tips for subsequent travel.
Vimmerby, Sweden
The Kingdom of Sweden is considered the Northern European center of joie de vivre. This impression is supported by the stories of the popular writer Astrid Lindgren, who takes all viewers and readers to the small town of Vimmerby in southern Sweden’s province of Småland. In the alleys of Vimmerby, the Falun red wooden houses are considered to be the models for the adventures of the master detective “Kalle Blomquist”, the “Children of Bullerby” and “Michel from Lönneberga”.
The rock city of Petra, Jordan
Travelers to Jordan are quickly transported back in time when they visit the ancient rock city of Petra . It was the filming location for “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” – and anyone who visits the treasure chamber and the “Temple of the Grail” through the gorge “Al Siq” is sure to be completely enchanted. Anyone who explores the red rock city in Indiana Jones’ footsteps will never forget the unique film locations.
Venice: Drama and action in Italy
Comedy, drama, action – all of this comes together in Bella Italia. In addition to the capital Rome, the action venue of various James Bond adventures, the wonderful lagoon city of Venice, for example, was a filming location for Til Schweiger’s film “Honey in the Head”. Venice invites you to take boat trips on the Grand Canal, visit the magnificent palaces on St. Mark’s Square and, of course, visit the Hotel Bauer, where Tilda and Amadeus stayed.
Golden State, California, USA
California Dreamin: The entire US state between San Diego and San Francisco is a backdrop for lifestyle and film shoots like out of a picture book – and therefore also known from numerous series and films. Los Angeles is considered the center of the film industry; for travelers, a stroll along Rodeo Drive is a must – just like Julia Roberts in “Pretty Woman” – and Venice Beach was once the sunny location in “Baywatch”.
