Five film locations that are worth a visit

Attractive film locations often lead to a considerable increase in tourism. But which spots are really worth visiting? Together with PhD student Abby Waysdorf, we identified five of the best film locations.

“Fårö is a small island in the south-east of Sweden, and the home of film director Ingmar Bergman”, says Waysdorf The director is famous for The Seventh Seal and Through A Glass Darkly. “He produced several films on the island, which is why it is a well-known area for lovers of his work.” Every summer, the Bergmancenter organises the Bergman Week, during which his work is shown. Concerts and other cultural activities are also organised.

A list of film locations without the Harry Potter locations would certainly not be complete. In addition to the well-known King’s Cross Station in London, there are also other film locations you can visit. “There is the film set just outside London where you can go on a guided tour through the magical world. A little further to the north you can visit the Bodleian Library at Oxford University, where all the library scenes in the films were recorded.”

Besides Harry Potter, the list would definitely not be complete without Star Wars. Now that the latest film has once again increased the popularity of Darth Vader and Yoda, the film locations are also fresh in everyone’s memories again. “A new location was used in the films – an old, deserted monastery in Ireland known as Skellig Michael.” The old film location in Tunisia, where they filmed the scenes on the planet called Tatooine, is hardly ever visited anymore due to the political situation in the country.

The film for everyone who dreams of romance in Paris – Amélie. Many of the scenes were filmed in Montmartre. “If you go for a walk through the district, you will come across many well-known places. The Café des 2 Moulins is nice too. The café has been thrust into the limelight since the film. It is interesting for both lovers of the film as well as for visitors who have never heard of the film.”

Monty Python is a real classic that everyone has probably seen. Recordings were made for the Monty Python and the Holy Grail film, a parody of King Arthur, in Doune Castle in 1974. At first, several castles were made available by the National Trust for Scotland, but these were later withdrawn. Doune Castle was subsequently chosen. “It’s also interesting to know that the Game of Thrones pilot was also recorded in this castle.”