The Castles, Mountains, and Hills that Brought You Back to Westeros

Belfast and Northern Ireland as a whole became known as the ‘Home of Thrones.’ So much of the all-conquering show Game of Thrones took place in and around Belfast, which had a huge impact on tourism. Just as Dubrovnik experiences, millions have travelled to Belfast to explore the locations that brought the fantasy setting to life.

The main show ended many years ago, but eventually, a very strong first outing for House of the Dragon landed. Then, earlier this year, Westeros returned to Belfast with the filming of another excellent debut season with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Naturally, this spurred yet another renewed buzz about Belfast.

An Eternally Popular Setting

It’s impossible to deny the impact and popularity of Game of Thrones. Sure, it went out with the wrong kind of bang and tumbled from the pinnacle of its writing a couple of years before, but if nothing else, the visuals were still fantastic. The early storytelling gave all of the settings great importance and allure, spurring fans on to visit.

Game of Thrones tours are now plentiful in Belfast, and some of the tour guides were even brought into filming sessions to play extras. Anyone can come along to see the iconic locations used in the show and even go on the Game of Thrones Studio Tour. It’s now a top tourist attraction in NI and enjoyed a huge jump in visitors in 2026.

Much of this will be because the setting lives on across entertainment. Two spin-offs continue to get tens of millions of viewers, and there’s even an official game at the bingo sites UK players can access. This Game of Thrones game regularly shoots back up the chart and into the Slots of the Week section when the shows air.

Of course, along with the shows and games, there’s also the array of books and comics that encompass the source material written by George R. R. Martin. They remain very popular, even if we’re still waiting for the penultimate book in the core A Song of Ice & Fire story.

Venturing into A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was concise and very refreshing in its story. It follows a member of the common folk posing as a knight just trying to do good in the world. Even though Belfast’s landscapes and ancient sites were used to reflect a sense of grandeur in the setting of a Game of Thrones, it also works for this zoomed-in story.

Among the locations featured were Glenarm Castle Estate, which was the setting for the whole Ashford Meadow camp, as well as Leitrim Lodge and Hen Mountain – standing in for The Reach. You can also see Ashford Valley on a trip to Cave Hill and what was once the Vale of Arryn in Game of Thrones, Galboly.

As is reported in this piece from RT, the second season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was also filming in and around Belfast at the end of 2025. So, when the more cheery and upbeat take on Westeros returns, we’ll be treated to even more stunning locations from Northern Ireland.