With Season 7 of HBO’s epic fantasy Game of Thrones now in full swing, viewers are getting glimpses of the Seven Kingdoms once more.

Location scouts play a key role in any film project, but perhaps especially so when looking at the size and scale of this particular production. Scenes quickly contrast between the snow and ice of the north to sweeping sunsets and lush greenery – so just where are these breathtaking cinematic scenes shot? We take a look at some of the top Game of Thrones filming locations below…

Girona, Spain (Catalonia)

Situated in northeast Spain, the city of Girona doubles up for Braavos, King’s Landing and the Old Town in the show.

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Dubrovnik will drastically cut the number of visitors allowed into its ancient centre in just two years in an effort to prevent ruinous overcrowding, the mayor has revealed to Telegraph Travel.

The new limit will go further than Unesco’s recommendation of permitting only 8,000 people a day inside the hefty Medieval walls and instead put the cap at 4,000. Mayor Mato Franković, elected to the position in June, said the move was to protect the quality of the experience for visitors to the Croatian city. “We don’t want to go with the maximum, we want to go lower than that,” he said.

Franković said Dubrovnik needs to “reset” after a period of unchecked growth in the number of day trippers and cruise passengers that flood into the tiny city each day.

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We round up epic locations from the series that you can still visit in real life…

Iron mighty Game of Thrones is back on our screens, and the drama is amping up more than ever in the penultimate season.

And as well as lashings of violence, naughty words, nudity, general mayhem, intrigue and fiery dragons, the telly titan has also introduced us to many worldly wonders.

Many of the spectacular locations featured on the show aren’t just a product of green screen.

The Seven Kingdoms of Westeros are in fact shot only a matter of hours from the UK – and make ideal holiday destinations for Thrones fans.

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With breathtaking nature, charming architecture, and a long Adriatic coastline, there’s plenty to see in this spectacular country.

Not to knock Dubrovnik, with its marble streets, 16th-century city walls, sparkling red roof tiles, and primo location—it more than earns its moniker of “Pearl of the Adriatic,” not to mention its UNESCO World Heritage status. But if you cross Croatia off your list after you’ve seen Dubrovnik, you’re missing out on a lot. Here are five other gems to discover.

HVAR

In midsummer, it’s island madness, with party-lovers crowding the nightclubs in Hvar while their yachts crowd the harbour. But come shoulder season, the island reverts to its mysterious, medieval self, and you can explore the quiet squares and sandy coves in peace.

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As clock tower bells chime at high noon, I stand 80 feet above ground with a wide and clear view of medieval architecture and history.

Ahead are signs of modern living: sailboats, speedboats, ferries and a cruiseship or two. Below are hints of the past: terracotta rooftops, laundry on clotheslines and people on the move within 13th century stone walls that circle and fortify all.

The aerial view stays with me for a couple of hours, because that’s how long it takes to gawk and stroll atop the Walls of Dubrovnik, on the Adriatic Sea and along the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. The 1.2-mile ring leads to stone forts, casual café rest spots, artists at work and an occasional sprig of wildflowers abloom through cracks in limestone.

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If you’re a fan of the HBO mega-hit series Game of Thrones, you know that [spoiler alert] Winter is here. But make your way to Dubrovnik, Croatia — the citywide set for the show’s fictional capital of King’s Landing — and you’ll find scant evidence to support the claim. A stunningly preserved 16th Century fortress seated against the Adriatic, the Old City is quickly becoming one of Europe’s hottest tourist destinations. Yet it remains surprisingly accessible to the American traveler. For now. In honor of GoT’s long-awaited return this weekend, VinePair presents you a portal to pure fantasy: a real life King’s Landing crawl to call your own.

Dubrovnik holds some 50,000 people, but only 1500 permanently reside within the fortified walls of the Old City — a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.

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THE BEST IN HERITAGE with IMAGINES takes place in Dubrovnik, Croatia on 28-30 September 2017. Registration is open for this annual, global conference featuring award-winning museum, heritage and conservation projects. The first day focuses on multimedia and new technology achievements followed by the 2-day conference showcasing over 40 selected heritage projects including from China, Japan, India, Australia, New Zealand, Russia and many countries of Europe.

As a result of the long and devoted work of dozens of experts and professional juries, more than 40 major award schemes from around the world announced some 300 prize-winning museum, heritage and conservation projects in 2016. At The Best in Heritage conference, the featured, handpicked selection of the most innovative and inspiring candidates from this accumulation of quality will represent a balanced variety of best practices.

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