Seven years after its finale, HBO’s Game of Thrones still ranks among the best-known shows on television, and the franchise it started keeps growing. Two prequels, House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, premiered on HBO in 2022 and 2026.
The show that built it
Created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, the series adapts George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels. It premiered on April 17, 2011, and ended on May 19, 2019, after 73 episodes across eight seasons. Its cast has been estimated as the largest on television. In 2014, several actors renegotiated their contracts to add an option for a seventh season.
The story runs on three tracks across Westeros and Essos. One is a war of succession for the Iron Throne, with other noble families fighting for independence. Another follows the exiled heir of the deposed dynasty plotting a return. The third is the coming winter, with its legendary creatures and the fierce peoples of the North.
The show drew record viewership for HBO and an international fan base, and critics often place it among the greatest series ever. They praised its acting, characters, scope and production values, while its nudity and violence stirred controversy. The final season took heavy criticism for its shorter length and creative choices. Even so, the series won 59 Primetime Emmy Awards, the most for any drama, including Outstanding Drama Series in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019. It also took three Hugo Awards and a Peabody.
Real places behind Westeros
Part of the show’s pull was its sense of place. Northern Ireland stood in for Winterfell and the Kingsroad, Croatia became King’s Landing, and Spain hosted Dorne and Dragonstone. Early seasons used Malta and Morocco. Iceland, though, carried the frozen lands beyond the Wall.
Its sites are scattered across the Southwest, South, Southeast, North and West, and most lie on or near the Ring Road. In the Southwest, Thingvellir National Park, about 45 minutes from Reykjavik, served as the Vale of Arryn and the route to the Bloody Gate. Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach near Vik was the coast at Eastwatch by the Sea. Skogafoss appears in the Season 8 dragon flight of Jon and Daenerys.
The glaciers did the heavy lifting for scenes north of the Wall. Svinafellsjokull, Myrdalsjokull, Vatnajokull and Gigjokull were used from Season 2 onward. Svinafellsjokull has also appeared in Interstellar and Batman Begins. In the North, the Lake Myvatn area packs several sites close together, among them Grjotagja Cave, where Jon Snow and Ygritte shelter, and the Dimmuborgir lava field, home to Mance Rayder’s wildling camp. In the West, Kirkjufell on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula played Arrowhead Mountain in Seasons 6 and 7.
Visitors should take care. Reynisfjara is known for “sneaker waves,” which can surge well beyond the waterline and have caused deaths, so people are advised to keep at least 30 meters back from the surf. Storms in early 2026 also eroded parts of the shoreline there. Walking on glaciers is only safe with a certified guide.
Sources
- Game of Thrones
- 15 Years Later, 'Game of Thrones' Greatest Episode Is Still the Best Hour in TV History
- The Ultimate Guide to Game of Thrones in Iceland | Guide to Iceland
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