Iconic Movie Locations You Need to Visit on Holiday

Image by Dimitris Vetsikas from Pixabay

If you’ve ever watched your favourite movie and wondered where it was filmed, you’re not the only one! There are some amazing destinations that have served as the backdrop for famous film franchises, and the great news is that you can visit some of them on your next holiday! Here are a few of the best…

Skopelos, Greece

Skopelos is a stunning island for holidays to Greece and the perfect destination for Mamma Mia fans! The island’s beaches are one of its main attractions, particularly Glysteri Beach – a picturesque, pebbled beach on the northern shore, with crystal clear waters, and Kastani Beach, on the southwest coast, which was the film’s main location site. On the northeastern coast of Skopelos, you’ll find the iconic Church of Agios Ioannis, which was the shooting location of the famous wedding scene!

Salzburg, Austria

The classic Hollywood musical, The Sound of Music, was filmed largely on location in the beautiful city of Salzburg in Austria.

Tourists today can visit several famous film locations for this iconic movie, such as the gardens of Schloss Hellbrun, where you’ll find the white pavilion in which loved-up Liesl and Rolf sing ‘Sixteen Going on Seventeen’ or the Mirabell Palace and Garden, where Maria and the children sing ‘Do-Re-Mi.’

Super-fans might even choose to stay in Schloss Leopoldskron – the rococo palace turned historic hotel that provided the backdrop for the von Trapp family’s terrace and gardens.

Puglia, Italy

No Time To Die may have been Daniel Craig’s last outing as the much-loved spy James Bond, but fans can still pay homage with a trip to Matera, while we wait for the next Bond actor to be revealed.

This fascinating city in Puglia, Italy, provided the backdrop for one of the franchise’s most dramatic chase scenes. In No Time to Die, we see Bond lured to a bridge, which he must then leap from to escape certain death, before ducking and weaving through narrow streets and hidden doorways, with Sassi dwellings carved into the ancient hillside.

This UNESCO-listed town is thought to be among the earliest human settlements, and visitors today can not only spot famous sites from the film, but also see the work being done to regenerate Matera.

Matamata, New Zealand

The hills of Matamata in New Zealand’s Waikato region are world-renowned for being the imaginative world of Middle-earth in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

The hobbit holes built on a nearby farm were left as tourist attractions after the filming of the original 2001 film, and have since been incorporated into The Hobbiton Movie Set. Fans can even explore the interior of a Hobbit’s home on Bagshot Row or take a Second Breakfast Tour!