Valhalla Filming Locations: A Trip Through Epic Landscapes for Vikings
Though a follow-up to the highly regarded History Channel series "Vikers," Netflix's Valhalla is an epic saga that carries viewers to a world of Viking raids, political intrigue, and conflicting ideas. Like its predecessor, the show mostly depends on real locations to provide viewers with a really immersive experience.
Locations for filming: Ireland
Vikings: Valhalla mostly filmed in County Wicklow, Ireland, much as the first "Vikings" series did. The great mix of rocky mountains, lush forests, and calm lakes in this area makes it perfect for the epic battles and dramatic narratives of the show. County Wicklow was chosen strategically since it presented a special mix of advantages:
Ashford Studios: Center of Creativity
Vikings: Valhalla was produced in great part at County Wicklow's well-known film Ashford Studios. The studio acted as a central hub for several production elements, including the reconstruction of the vibrant Viking village Kattegat. For the characters of the show and their daily life, this painstakingly created set offered a realistic and immersive surroundings.
Lough Tay: Beautiful Viking Fjord
The Kattegat settlement started at Lough Tay, a magnificent lake tucked away among the Wicklow Mountains. Its calm beauty and likeness to Scandinavian fjords wonderfully caught the core of the Vikings' native country. Many of the exterior scenes of the show found an amazing backdrop from the surroundings of the lake.
Roundwood Quarry: Jomsborg's Context
Near Calary Lake in County Wicklow, the Roundwood Quarry was converted into the commanding Viking stronghold, Jomsborg village. The village and its people found a dramatic backdrop in the quarry's natural features—tall cliffs and rocky ground.
Quarry Ballyhorsey: Ice River Sequences
The show's riveting ice river scenes were filmed at another County Wicklow quarry, Ballyhorsey Quarry. The scenes gained a chilling and immersive element from the frozen terrain of the quarry and striking rock formations.
Head of Mizen: Dramatic coastal cliffs
The production crew travelled further afield, to Mizen's Head, a dramatic coastal area in southwest Ireland, for a particularly arresting sequence. The Jomsborg stronghold's entrance was set against the imposing cliffs at Mizen's Head, so giving the site grandeur and solitude.
Locations for filming: Croatia
Rising above the English and Scandinavian settings of the first two seasons, Vikings: Valhalla season 3 transported viewers to the Mediterranean via Rome and Constantinople. The production team looked for sites that could truly reflect these energetic and strong centers of ancient civilization in order to capture the unique architectural and cultural subtleties of these historical cities. This brought them to Dubrovnik, Croatia, the breathtaking Adriatic city.
Dubrovnik: A City Deeply Historical
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Dubrovnik gave Vikings: Valhalla the ideal setting for both Rome and Constantinople. Its medieval walls, cobblestone lanes, and striking architectural designs aptly caught the grandeur and historical relevance of these old cities.
Rector's Palace: Roman Residence
For the scenes including King Canute's visit to Pope John XIX, the magnificent 15th-century structure known as Rector's Palace in Dubrovnik was the Lateran Palace, the historical residence of the Pope in Rome. The grandeur of the palace's interiors and elegant front fit the meeting of the Viking king with the head of the Catholic Church.
Petar Sorkocevic Summerhouse: Roman Outside
The exterior views for the Lateran Palace came from the other architectural wonder in Dubrovnik, the Petar Sorkocevic Summerhouse. The Roman scenes gained some authenticity from its grand front and lovely surrounds.
East Gate of Dubrovnik: a Byzantine entrance
The Constantinople scenes revolved much on Dubrovnik's remarkable East Gate, a historical monument noted for its grandeur and strategic importance. In the episode "Lost," season 3, the gate acted as the Byzantine Army's entrance back to the city. Its great presence and minute details gave the scene historical weight.
Syracuse: a Byzantine city
Beyond Dubrovnik, the production crew captured the spirit of a busy Byzantine town by using Syracuse, on the southeast coast of Sicily, for the first scenes of season 3. Its classic architecture and gorgeous surrounds offered a distinctive visual contrast to earlier seasons' more Scandinavian settings.
Valhalla: A Chronicle of Location Scouting for Vikings
Vikings: Valhalla's painstaking attention to location scouting and filming lends realism and authenticity to the show. The creators and production crew of the show used the special beauty and historical relevance of these sites to provide viewers with a very immersive and captivating visual experience, so guiding them to the heart of the Viking age. From the sun-drenched coastlines of Croatia to the craggy mountains of Ireland, the filming sites of the show are absolutely vital in realizing the epic tale of Vikings: Valhalla.
