“There were rumours on the Internet that they were auditioning for a Turkish soap opera, but I knew that it was the Game of Thrones ,” says my guide Ivana Radic, as we walk through the portals of the Pile Gate of the Old Town in Dubrovnik, Croatia.
Rain tumbles down, drenching the entire landscape as we are transported into a medieval land of fantasy and drama, filled with knights, dragons and zombies. At the Game of Thrones (GoT) walking tour in the charming seaside town, I am introduced to King’s Landing, one of the capital cities in the fantasy drama.
Radic remembers the time, when after season one, Dubrovnik was chosen over Malta as the imaginary capital of Westeros. “I decided to audition as they were looking for extras,” she adds. Her claim to fame, however, came in season two, when she was dressed as a peasant in a market scene.
Imposing walls
Walking along the city walls and looking down at the cityscape, I realise that the lines between reality and fantasy blur as one medieval town blends into another. Every part of the Old Town, be it the fortresses, cathedrals or monasteries, takes on a new identity.
We start recognising locations as the Red Keep or the House of the Undying or the Blackwater Bay. King’s Landing is where battles were fought, while riots turned quaint streetscapes into a bloodbath. There was the morbid Walk of Shame and the vibrant Purple Wedding. And you do find the replica of the famous Iron Throne tucked away in Lokrum Island, which is less than 20 minutes by ferry from the Old Harbour.
The Pile Gate is not just one of the main entrances to the Old Town, but also forms the hub of several conversations between characters across the seasons. You can see views of the Lovrijenac and Bokor Fortresses, which feature prominently in different scenes.
Towards the ocean is Blackwater Bay, the scene of the famous battle when Stannis Baratheon’s fleet attacked King’s Landing. The walls of the Lovrijenac Fort were used as a backdrop during this iconic battle scene. The fort itself became the Red Keep in later seasons, while you can even climb the 175 stone steps to see the location of the tournament that was thrown in honour of King Joffrey. The imposing citadel, built 37 metres above sea level, was known as Dubrovnik’s Gibraltar, and was built to protect the Croatians against an attack from the Venetians.
Seems familiar
But the fort that most GoT fans identify with King’s Landing is the Bokor Fort, which defends the entire Old Town. The semi-circular fortress stands as an iconic backdrop to the famous scene when Tyrion Lannister meets with Lord Varys to discuss the defence of King’s Landing.
It starts raining again as we walk along the city walls. Various scenes flash in our minds from different seasons. One of them is Cersei looking at The Mountain for the first time. “Even his sword is as tall as me,” says Radic. We sit in a café and wait for the rains to abate, while we discuss her favourite location which is the Minceta Tower, the highest point in the city walls in Dubrovnik, which was used as the House of Undying in Qarth. Daenerys comes here to look for her stolen dragons. The other famous locations near the Old Town include Trsteno Arboretum that’s filled with beautiful gardens and is the centre of conspiracies and conversations, Gradac Park where the Purple Wedding was held and Lokrum Island which doubles up as Qarth. Inside the Old Town, however, the Ethnographic Museum, an erstwhile granary, becomes the location of Littlefinger’s brothel.
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As the rains abate, we walk through Jesuit Steps and St Dominik Street near the monastery and church, which becomes the setting for several scenes, including the murder of the illegitimate children of King Robert Baratheon. But this is also one of the locations where the shocking Walk of Shame takes place.
“Word spread that the Queen was going to walk naked through the streets. She wore a body suit and used a body double,” Radicexplains. The place was shut down for five days and over 200 guards were brought in for protection. “Shame is such a powerful emotion. As she trips and falls down, she can actually feel the hatred.”
We are finally at the end of the tour and we discuss some of the spoilers for season 7. She says that only the Lannisters were shooting here for it. “Whatever happens, it is between Jaime and Cersei,” says Radic, adding, “I would like to see Jaime change to the other side.” We part as Radic gives her last word on her favourite character, “It has to be Tyrion Lannister, no one can be king without him.”
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