Fantasy Comes to Life at These 10 ‘The Wheel of Time’ Filming Locations

While we can’t recommend anyone copying Egwene as she’s pushed into an icy river by Nynaeve during her initiation into the Women’s Circle in “Leavetaking,” we do recommend seeing the stunning Great Soča Gorge for yourself. This 2460-feet-long gorge in Slovenia’s Soča Valley is a great place to admire the vibrant turquoise color of the Soča River as you peek your head over the precarious cliff edge. Those looking to take a plunge in this glacial river will find better spots elsewhere in the valley, but the gorge is the best place to experience how the river has carved its path through the landscape.

Breaking free from the forest canopy of the Bohemian Switzerland National Park, the colossal Pravčická Archway is a landmark you truly need to see to believe. The arch is the largest of its kind in Europe and a highlight for visitors to this national park in the far north of Czechia. All of this makes it ideal for a beautiful panoramic shot during “A Place of Safety” as Lan scouts ahead while Nynaeve tends to an ill Moiraine. Now, you won’t be able to walk to the end of the archway as Lan appears to do on horseback, but you can admire it from a nearby clifftop viewing platform. To reach the arch, you’ll need to take to the hiking trails that run through Bohemian Switzerland National Park and pass the grand yet unexpected Falcon’s Nest Hotel.

It’s hard not to be a little bit jealous of shepherds Rand and his father Tam when you see the stunning mountain scenery surrounding their home during “Leavetaking.” After all, who wouldn’t want alpine views of the Mangart Saddle among the Julian Alps of Slovenia right at their doorstep? Getting to this lofty 6,798-feet-high pass inches from the Italian border may take a little time, but the joy of driving Slovenia’s highest-lying road with jaw-dropping vistas around each bend means it isn’t a hardship. You shouldn’t expect to find their family home at the end of the road as it was likely filmed back at the studio, but the sky-high views that Egwene and Rand enjoyed as they discussed her future will no doubt more than make up for that.

You’d have to be a brave soul to want to spend the night in the abandoned, overgrown ruins of Dolský Mill. And that’s before seeing Moiraine, Lan, and their young companions get attacked by monstrous trollocs there in “Shadow’s Waiting.” In the day of light though, this moody mill near the village of Vysoká Lípa in Czechia’s Bohemian Switzerland is quite a pleasant find as you wander the park’s walking trails. It helps that the ruin has a storied past and a lovely setting, backed by sizeable cliffs and peaceful forest. The remains of this three-wheeled mill date from the 16^th-century, and it even served as a local brewery and distillery before it was deserted in 1945.

Lord of the Rings went above and beyond to capture New Zealand’s dramatic landscapes, and there’s a moment in Shadow’s Waiting that does the same for Slovenia’s Soča River. As the group rides out from Emond’s Field and the Two Rivers towards Tar Valon, we’re shown a superb wide shot of the crystal-clear river and its white beaches, not to mention its looming mountain surroundings. It’s a perfect distillation of the Soča Valley’s beauty, although visitors are more likely to find themselves exploring the area in a kayak than on horseback. The Soča River winds its way through much of the country’s northwest, but to see this particular spot you’ll need to journey to the stretch near Boka Waterfall, another of the region’s natural highlights.

Although it was reported that The Wheel of Time took a leaf out of the Game of Thrones book by filming in Dubrovnik, there is another Croatian destination that stands out in the series. After fleeing from an evil entity in Shadar Logoth, we find Mat and Rand in “A Place of Safety” hiking across a rocky mountainside outside the city. The pale craggy mountains you see them in are located throughout Northern Velebit National Park on Croatia’s coast between Rijeka and Zadar. Hiking is the main appeal of visiting the Velebit Mountains, as they’re the longest mountain range in Croatia. But the park is also home to the country’s deepest caves, coastal viewpoints, and various biodiversity preservation efforts as a UNESCO biosphere reserve.

Take one look at the eerie carved faces of the Harfenice Natural Formations, and it makes sense why the show decided to film by this bizarre little spot. These primal rock sculptures near the Czech town of Želízy are seen briefly in “Blood Calls Blood” as Egwene and Perrin try to escape the oppressive Whitecloaks after being caught with the nomadic Tinkers. Local Czech sculptor Václav Levý created the carvings in the 1840s and had a habit of carving unnerving faces in the rocks around the town. You’ll find another spot known as the Devil’s Heads located not far away.

Even the smaller moments of The Wheel of Time somehow manage to tempt travelers with enchanting spots. Take a quiet scene between Egwene and Nynaeve in “Leavetaking,” where they hear foreboding whispers on the wind before their village is attacked. The location in question? A romantic little stone bridge over the minor Nadiža River near the village of Logje in western Slovenia. This hidden landmark along an ancient route through the region is called the Napoleon Bridge because it was constructed during the Napoleonic Wars. Pristine stonework, thick forest surroundings, and vivid emerald waters of the Nadiža River come together here for the perfect tranquil spot.

Of all the weird and wonderful places in which The Wheel of Time production was filmed, the Velká Amerika quarry may be the most unusual. As Mat and Rand arrive at the small mining town of Breen’s Spring in “A Place of Safety,” they look down into a picturesque and seemingly natural canyon. In reality, they’re standing above the disused and flooded Velká Amerika quarry in the Czech forests near Karlštejn Castle. Dubbed the Czech Grand Canyon, this limestone quarry has started to make a name for itself among tourists thanks to elemental scenery and hiking trails, putting a positive spin on what could otherwise be a grim scar on the Bohemian landscape.

The parting scene of the first season hints at what’s to come next for The Wheel of Time in more ways than one. It shows a girl playing on a wild and remote beach as a large fleet of Seanchan ships approaches, teasing both what to expect from the plot in its second season but also the next season’s filming locations which look to be a far cry from the forests and mountains of central Europe. Easily recognized thanks to its distinct sea stacks, Benijo Beach lies on the north coast of Tenerife in the Canary Islands. The islands, together with Morocco, are the primary filming locations for the second season, meaning fans can expect a whole wave of new destinations to be excited about when the Amazon Prime series returns. But this spectacular and isolated beach will have to do for now.