Have you ever watched a movie or TV series and wished you could visit the place it is set in? Maybe you have wanted to sip coffee in the same café as your favourite character? Well, lucky for you some movies and TV series are shot in public locations which means you can visit and live out your main character vibes for real!
Star Wars
Despite being set in “a galaxy far far away” Star Wars was actually filmed much closer than you may think! The land of Ahch-To was filmed in Ireland’s own Skellig Michael! The beautiful UNESCO world heritage site 12km off the coast of Kerry is accessible by boat with tours running for locals and tourists alike. Why not make a day trip out of it this summer and recreate your best Jedi moves with some of your friends!
Harry Potter
Although we are all still disappointed that we didn’t receive our Hogwarts letter on our 11th birthday there is a way to visit Hogwarts…sort of! Christ Church College in Oxfordshire was the filming location for some of the most iconic moments throughout the films. Alongside this, they have a dining hall which inspired the creative team for the set of the magnificent Great Hall. So, grab your wands and make a trip to visit if you are in the UK!
Game of Thrones
You don’t need to go far to live out your sword brandishing hero dreams as many scenes were filmed around Northern Ireland! Antrim, Derry, and Down were the locations of many battle scenes and some iconic buildings such as Season One’s Winterfell castle, Castle Ward. The Castle Ward website comes with a free downloadable map which shows you all the locations on its grounds where the iconic scenes were shot as well as some behind the scenes facts and videos!
Gossip Girl
Let’s face it, we have all wanted to be Blair Waldorf at one stage or another, be it for the iconic fashion or memorable quotes. Well, now you have the chance to recreate those lunch-time gossip sessions on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art if you are visiting Manhattan. So wear your most 2000s style and get a group of friends to take some Insta pics as the queen of NYC!
Brooklyn
Colm Toíbín’s romantic book turned movie Brooklyn is largely set in Enniscorthy, County Wexford and authentically filmed in the same place. Toíbín paints such a heart-warming image of Wexford in the novel that it only made sense to show the world the beautiful Irish coast. Eilis’ beach trip was filmed on Curracloe beach located just outside Wexford town. The perfect spot to go to recreate Eilis’ day at the beach and relish in the wonder and charm of the Irish scenery.
Love Actually
Everybody knows the iconic scene in Love Actually when Colin Firth’s character runs through the cobbled streets of Portugal to propose to his love Aurelia in front of the entire town and also for making everyone cry over the romance of the dreamboat couple. What you probably didn’t know is that it was actually filmed in Marseille in the South of France. If you will be anywhere near Marseille this summer and want to live out your romantic dreams then stop into Bar de la Marine and who knows, maybe there will even be a proposal there!