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Ever watched a movie and been astounded at the rolling hills, piercing blue skies or the elaborate architecture? Only to find out it’s CGI? Here are five of the most beautiful locations that have been used in the movies that you can visit:
Petra, the forgotten city (Indiana Jones)
In the heart of Jordanian desert there is an incredible city that was lost to the world for almost 15 centuries before it was rediscovered in 1812. It is one of the most mysterious places in the world with temples, monumental tombs, dwellings, halls, altars, and niches chiseled by hand into the sandstone cliffs. Because of the cliffs’ colour the city is also called “rose red city”. One of the most preserved and beautiful parts of the city, the Treasury, can be seen in the last scenes of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade where it served as the long lost secret temple. The place is so unbelievably beautiful that it cannot be described, pictures do not even do it justice – you need to visit it on a Jordan trip.
New Zealand (The Lord of the Rings)
New Zealand’s islands offer a spectacular and varied natural beauty: mountains with sharp peaks, untouched lakes, furious rivers, pastureland, scenic beaches and active volcanic areas. Here you can see flightless birds kakapo and kiwi that are found nowhere else. You can visit a lot of distinctive destinations on your holiday there. Popularity of the country has significantly increased since some of its locations were used as the background in The Lord of the Rings films. More and more tourists want to visit and see those breathtaking and exciting places. Today you can go on hiking tours along the mountains used as the settings for the dark kingdom in the trilogy. The Hobbiton movie set in Matamata has become one of the most popular holiday destinations with guided tours of the remnants of the movie sets.
United Kingdom (Harry Potter)
After seeing films of Harry Potter, many people wished to visit some of the stunning locations around the UK they were filmed at. Everybody wants to see the magical dining room, that is in fact the Hall of Christ Church in Oxford. And Oxford is the city, which has inspired many filmmakers with its wonderful architecture. The railway station, where students wait the train for Hogwarts, really exists and is just as charming as in films. The train station in a small village of Goathland, in beautiful Yorkshire Moors, was transformed into “Hogsmeade” station just by changing its name and the benches. The train route goes through Highlands’s valleys and the main attraction is the famous viaduct. The dramatic landscapes around Hogwarts were filmed in Glencoe, Scotland. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was filmed on different locations in the UK. One of the most impressive is Durham Cathedral. Alnwick Castle, the site of Madame Hooch’s flying lesson is a very old castle with spectacular gardens, water sculptures and one of the world’s biggest treehouses.
Ouarzazate (Gladiator)
Ouarzazate is an old city in Morocco with great tradition and spiritual values. It is a mix of different cultures and traditions. Some of the most popular films were shot there, since it has a developed cinema infrastructure. The city is known as the film capital of the country and its sites are perfect for almost all film types. The fortified city of Aït Benhaddou a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the most popular place for shooting in Ouarzazate. It is an unbelievable place, with fascinating architecture and wonderful buildings built of mud and straw. Trips to Ouarzazate offer some of the most incredible sights, and the city used as a background for movies such as Gladiator and Jewel of the Nile.
Siem Reap, Cambodia (Lara Croft: Tomb Raider)
Siem Reap is the most prosperous region of contemporary Cambodia, mostly because its close proximity to the Angkor Wat temple complex that has made this place one of the world’s leading travel destinations. A thousand years old Khmer heritage is one of the world’s greatest archaeological and religious treasures. It is the ultimate symbol of Cambodia. There are some partially renovated temples; pagoda and imperial residences as well as some recently discovered ruins untouched for 500 years. There are no words to describe the unforgettable experience that awaits travellers. The popular Lara Croft: Tomb Raider was filmed on this site. It helped the tourism in Cambodia boom.
