'Game of Thrones' scenarios

Extremadura, the scene of many national and international films, is one of the few locations chosen by U.S. network HBO’s highly-acclaimed series 'Game of Thrones' as a filming location for its dynastic struggles.

Millions of 'Game of Thrones' fans all over the world have been able to enjoy in Season 7, which was released in summer 2017, scenes filmed in monumental Cáceres, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Natural Monument of Los Barruecos and Trujillo castle.  So now Extremadura forms part of a list comprising several Spanish Autonomous Communities and countries such as Iceland, the UK (Scotland and Northern Ireland), Croatia, Malta, the United States, Canada and Morocco.

Cáceres

The narrow streets and squares of the historic centre of Cáceres, a set used in '1492: La conquista del paraíso’ (1992), 'La Celestina' (1996) and the series 'Isabel' (2012-2014), among other productions, appear in 'Game of Thrones', Season 7, Episode 3. It is the moment of Euron Greyjoy’s triumphal march with his prisoners toward the Redfort, at King's Landing (in fact, Caceres).

In this scene we can see places and monuments such as Plaza de Santa Maria, Arco de la Estrella, Torre de Bujaco, Torre de los Púlpitos, Cuesta de la Compañía and the façade of Fundación Mercedes Calles y Carlos Ballestero, located in the Casa Palacio de los Becerra.

*Shot from S07E03 of the HBO network series 'Game of Thrones' in the monumental ensemble of Cáceres.

Many of these places in Cáceres witnessed a real game of thrones in the 15th century, when Isabella of Castile and Juana la Beltraneja fought for the crown in the War of the Castilian Succession, won by the Catholic Queen. This struggle for power left its mark on the Cáceres skyline: in 1476, Isabella ordered the towers of the nobles supporting La Beltraneja to be demolished. The only defensive battlement remaining intact was that of Captain Diego de Ovando, who was on the Castilian Queen’s side during the war. This beautiful building is known as Palacio de las Cigüeñas (Palace of the Storks) and is the headquarters of the Cáceres Military Command.

Malpartida de Cáceres (Los Barruecos)

A few kilometres from the capital, in the municipality of Malpartida de Cáceres, Los Barruecos was the location for the 'Game of Thrones', Season 7 great battle between the Lannister and Daenerys Targaryen armies. This territory, of an enormous geological and ecological value, was declared a Natural Monument in 1996. Its large granite rocks carved by time, containing many nests of white storks and other birds, attracted the American series makers to film one of the season’s most decisive moments in the area of Barrueco de Arriba lake.

*Shot from S07E04 of the HBO network series 'Game of Thrones' in Los Barruecos (Malpartida de Cáceres).

Nearby stands what is possibly the most original contemporary art museum in Spain: the Vostell Malpartida Museum, opened in 1976 by the German artist Wolf Vostell (1932-1998), co-founder of the Fluxus movement and video art pioneer. This building, a former 18^th century wool washhouse, is a magnificent example of the blend between nature and art. This museum exhibits works by Vostell and other 20^th century artists, as well as the Los Barruecos History of Wool Washing and Livestock Trails Visitor Centre, a tribute to Extremadura’s transhumant and drover tradition.

Trujillo

Trujillo castle, 45 km from Cáceres, played a leading role in Episode 7, the last of the season, when it appeared on screen as the fortress of Casterly Rock. From its battlements we see Jaime Lannister and Bronn of the Blackwater watching the rival army.

The castle or fortress stands on the hill called Cabeza del Zorro, completing the walled perimeter of Trujillo in the northwest. This bulwark corresponds historically and typologically to a series of fortresses dating back to the times of the Caliphate of Córdoba, to which Mérida fortress also belongs. It is divided into two spaces: the alcazaba (fortress) itself, featuring an almost square ground plan, with eight towers and two gates, and the albacara (outer walled enclosure), featuring an irregular polygonal ground plan with towers. This structure is proof of it being an exclusively military fortress and not a residential alcazaba.

*Shot from S07E07 of the HBO network series 'Game of Thrones' at Trujillo castle.

As regards the enclosure, there used to be seventeen towers arranged at irregular intervals and seven gates. The gates remaining today are those of Coria, Arco de Triunfo, San Andrés and Santiago.

The castle is a must on any visit to Trujillo, in addition to the Plaza Mayor, the church of Santa Maria la Mayor and numerous palaces of an oligarchy that dominated in the conquest and colonization of America.

Visit these locations and immerse yourself in a territory of impressive landscapes and towns steeped in history and heritage.