Croatia 2025 – Bonus 1 (Game of Thrones)

Rather that clutter up the daily posts with too much Game of Thrones stuff, I’ve moved most of it here.

Split – Diocletian’s Palace

There were quite a few locations in Split used in Game of Thrones, including areas in (and under) Diocletian’s Palace. These scenes show up in seasons 4, 5, and 6.

Here Be Dragons

If you enter the cellars of Diocletian’s Palace, through the Bronze Gate, you’ll enter the area where Daenerys Targaryen (Khaleesi) keeps her dragons. Here are a few photos we took when we visted:

Another shot of the cellars, with stairs going up.

Here are some screen grabs from the show:

Screen grab from Game of Thrones showing the Cellars of Diocletians’s Palace

Screen grab from Game of Thrones, showing the Cellars of Diocletian’s Palace.

The streets of Diocletian’s Palace were used as a stand-in for the city of Meereen (as was the Golden Gate). You can see examples of this in season 4, particularly the “Kill the Masters” scenes. Other areas, like Klis Fortress, we didn’t visit. A prominent scene filmed here is the liberation of the slaves and the crucifixion of the masters, after Daenerys takes over the city with the help of the enslaved.

Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik was a stand-in for King’s Landing in Game of Thrones, with many filming locations throughout the city.

Ploce Gate

Ploce Gate served as the entrance to the fictional Red Keep in Game of Thrones. (Other areas would serve as the outside and inside of the keep.) During Cercei’s “Walk of Shame”, she enters the Red Keep from the bridge and through the gate. The area around the gate, including St. Dominic Street, was used for multiple Game of Thrones scenes, such as the killing of King Robert’s illegitimate sons and a protest speech witnessed by Tyrion and Bronn.

Here are some photos we took on our trip:

Ploce Gate – Cersei walked across this bridge and through gate during her “walk of shame”.

And here are some screenshots from Game of Thrones:

Cersei walking across the bridge to the gate during the walk of shame.

Rector’s Palace

The Rector’s Palace was used to depict Qarth, while Gradac Park hosted the Purple Wedding scene.

Pile Gate

Pile Gate is the main western entrance to Dubrovnik’s Old Town and served as the primary filming location for the King’s Landing Entrance in Game of Thrones. It was used in multiple pivotal scenes across Seasons 2 and 3, including the riot scene where King Joffrey is attacked by an angry mob after being pelted with fruit and manure. The area immediately inside the gate, which opens into the bustling Stradun street, was also used for the Lannister procession returning to the Red Keep after Myrcella’s departure to Dorne. Additionally, Jamie Lannister’s return to King’s Landing in Season 3, Episode 10, was filmed at this location. There’s also a scene with The Mountain filmed inside the gate.

Pile Bay

Pile Bay is a stand-in for Blackwater Bay in Game of Thrones. Many scenes were filmed here. Above the Bay is Fort Lovrijenac, which was used for many scenes, including King Joffrey’s Nameday Tournament. The exterior forms the base of the Red Keep, but CGI was used to build it up to a bigger structure. The stone stairs and doorways in the bay were used to show the Golden Cloaks searching houses, looking for Robert Baratheon’s illegitimate children.

Pile (Blackwater) Bay as seen from the city walls.

Pile Bay, aka Blackwater Bay. This section was used to show the Gold Cloaks searching for Robert Barathian’s illegitimate sons.

Steps along the beach at Blackwater Bay.

Shae and Sansa on the pier in Blackwater Bay.

City Walls

Several scenes were filmed along the city walls. Here’s one example.

Screenshot with the Red Keep in the background

The Jesuit Stairs

The Jesuit Stairs feature prominently in the scene where Cersei takes her Walk of Shame in Season 5. They were also used in Season 5, Episode 1, where Cersei arrives for her father Tywin Lannister’s funeral, and Episode 3, where she attends her son Tommen’s wedding to Margaery Tyrell.

Looking down from the top of the Jesuit Staircase.

Cersei looking down from the Jesuit Stairs.

The Walk of Shame – looking up at the Jesuit Stairs.

Miscellaneous Dubrovnik

Here are some additional scenes and places in Dubrovnik:

Clock Tower (also used in Game of Thrones)

Scene from Game of Thrones with the Dubrovnik Clock Tower in the background.

The Fort, as scene from a different angle in Game of Thrones.

This will make more sense in the Game of Thrones post.

Trsteno Arboretum

The Trsteno Arboretum was used as the Red Keep gardens in Game of Thrones, and several scenes were filmed there: Olenna Tyrell and Varys plotted their schemes there; Margaery Tyrell and Sansa Stark developed their bond there; Cersei and Oberyn Martell had several tense conversations there; Brienne of Tarth and Margaery discuss Renly’s death; and Sansa observed Littlefinger’s ship.