Malta Game Of Thrones Filming Locations

Game of Thrones hysteria may have died down a fair bit since the conclusion of the series but on a recent trip to Malta we still did all the areas featured in the HBO TV series. Kings Landing pretty much established it’s self in Dubrovnik but way back in series one, with a significantly smaller budget, Malta was its home. Here’s our guide of where to go and what to see….

Mdina Gate, Mdina – This historic gateway, also known as Vilhena Gate, is the main entrance into the ancient walled city of Mdina. Reached by crossing an arched moat bridge, it makes Game of Thrones debut in Lord Snow (S01 E03). In this episode you can spot lady Catelyn Stark, accompanied by Ser Rodrik Cassel, ride into Kings Landing through this very entrance. Here they attempt to establish whether the Lannisters were complicit in two separate attempts on young Bran’s life.
Visiting Mdina: Read More, Pictures & Map…

Mesquita Square, Mdina – This peaceful piazza deep in the silent city of Mdina actually saw quite a lot of Game of Thrones action. The square housed the exterior of Petyr ‘Littlefinger’ Baelish’s debauched brothel, featured
in several episodes in season one. In The Wolf & the Lion (S01, E05), Jamie Lannister and his spearmen have a heated skirmish with Ned and his guards here. Poor Ned gets a nasty leg injury and one of his best mates a dagger through the eye. When we were here there were no such dramas, just some lovely cafés and the home of the Mdina Experience. We also found several other Game of Thrones fans walking around singing the theme tune at the top of their voices.

Fort Ricasoli – This fort in Kalkara, near Valetta was originally built by the Knights of Malta. Its medieval military splendour made it the perfect stand-in for the Gate of the Gods in Kings Landing. The gates can be spotted in
Lord Snow (S01, E03), when the Stark clan return to the capital of the Seven Kingdoms and Ned finally assumes responsibility as advisor to King Robert on the Small Council. The fort also features in The Wolf & the Lion (S01, E05), where Arya attempts to re-enter the Red Keep but is denied access due to being mistaken for a street urchin by the guards. We couldn’t get up close to it while we were in Malta – it was completely closed for the filming of Gladiator 2, the Colosseum isn’t usually there! The original Gladiator was also filmed here.

St Dominic’s Priory, Rabat – Whilst quite a walk from Mdina, it’s a bit of a hidden gem. The gardens of this peaceful, picturesque convent in Rabat are the setting for one of the series’ most heated head-to-heads. Serving as a Red Keep garden in You Win Or You Die (S01, E07), it is here that Ned Stark reveals he knows Cersei Lannister’s most taboo of secrets – that her children, and heirs to the throne, were fathered by her twin brother Jamie and not her husband King Robert. It’s a very peaceful space and a great spot on a cool day.

Fort Manoel, Gziri – This star shaped Fort can be seen from Hasting’s Gardens in Valletta and doubles up as Game of Thrones’ Great Sept of Baelor – the temple for the Faith of the Seven. The exterior of the fort serves as the setting for the nail-biting, climactic end to Ned Stark’s story in Baelor (S01, E09). It’s just outside this fort that Ned is beheaded on Joffrey Baratheon’s orders.

San Anton Palace & Gardens, Attard – This place is the official residence of the President of Malta and appear frequently throughout Game of Thrones season one. In Lord Snow (S01, E03), when the Starks arrive at Red Keep, they make use of the palace stables. It’s also here that in The Pointy End (S01, E03) young Arya discovers her family’s attendants have been slaughtered before reclaiming Needle, the pointy sword gifted to her by her step brother Jon. While the gardens are a lovely spot to visit sadly you can’t get a look at the palace itself as the only opening has a picture across it and if you peek through the gaps you may meet one of the several presidential guards.

Azure Window, Gozo – A lot has happened since the first series of Game of Thrones, including the collapse of one of Gozo’s most distinctive features. The Azure Window can be seen in the background of the Dothraki wedding
feast between Khal Drogo and his bargained-for bride Daenerys Targaryen in Winter is Coming (S01, E01). Unfortunately, the window collapsed into the sea in March 2017 after battling heavy storms. If you’re really determined to see it though apparently you can dive.

After Malta, filming moved to Dubrovnik in Croatia. See our guide to Dubrovnik Game Of Thrones Filming Locations