Some places enter our travel plans long before we ever see them on a map. We first encounter them in a film or television series: a street walked by a favorite character, a grand house transformed into a fictional residence, or a landscape that becomes inseparable from a story. Then one day, we want to see the real place.
Cinematic destinations bring together two different kinds of discovery. There is the pleasure of recognizing a location from the screen, but there is also the chance to discover what exists beyond the camera frame. A filming location may turn out to be a historic house, a remarkable piece of architecture, an atmospheric neighborhood or a landscape worth exploring in its own right. For us, that second discovery is often the most interesting part.
Film and television can influence where we travel in surprisingly powerful ways. A successful series can introduce millions of viewers to a city they had barely considered visiting, while a familiar film location can provide a reason to explore beyond the usual landmarks. But the real place and its screen version are rarely identical. Camera angles change proportions. Several buildings may become one fictional location. Interiors and exteriors can be filmed hundreds of miles apart, and one city can convincingly stand in for another. Sometimes discovering how that illusion was created is as interesting as recognizing the location itself. That is why we look beyond the question of “Where was it filmed?” We also want to know what is actually there, whether you can visit it and what else makes the location worth your time.
One of the pleasures of cinematic travel is discovering that a familiar filming location has a much bigger story than the production that brought us there. Behind the fictional palace might be a centuries-old country house. A street known from a television series may be part of an important historic district. An industrial building transformed on screen could tell its own story about the people who once worked there. The screen may provide the introduction, but it is often the architecture, history, culture and landscape that make the journey memorable.
This is where cinematic travel becomes more than a hunt for recognizable camera angles. It can encourage us to notice places we might otherwise have passed by and to explore the real stories behind fictional worlds.
If you enjoy travelling through a particular interest rather than simply following the standard sightseeing route, our Explore section is the starting point for Sonsy Travel Guide’s other themed journeys and special-interest travel ideas.
A famous screen location is not automatically a great travel experience. Some have become attractions in their own right, while others offer little more than a recognizable exterior. Before making a special detour, check whether the location is actually open to visitors and whether the interiors seen on screen were filmed there. It is also worth finding out what else there is to see nearby. The best cinematic stops are often those that fit naturally into a wider day of exploring.
Remember, too, that many filming locations are not tourist attractions. They may be private homes, residential streets, working businesses or places of worship. Enjoying the connection to a favorite film or series should always come with respect for the people who live and work there.
Popular locations can also become extremely busy. When possible, visiting early, outside peak periods or after the initial excitement surrounding a production has faded can make it easier to experience the place itself.
For more inspiration, VisitBritain’s guide to film and television locations brings together real locations from productions filmed across Britain.
Our collection is still growing. We focus on places where the connection between screen and destination adds another dimension to the journey, and we’ll continue adding new locations as we discover stories worth following beyond the screen.
Some may be instantly recognizable. Others reveal how filmmakers transformed a real place into somewhere completely different. Either way, the goal is the same: to step beyond the screen and discover the destination behind the story.
Bruges becomes part of the story in Martin McDonagh’s dark comedy In Bruges. Follow its filming locations from Markt and the Belfry to canal-side views and the Jerusalem Chapel, with a flexible walking route and practical advice for enjoying the city at your own pace.
Discover the real places behind Bridgerton, from Bath’s elegant Georgian streets to grand country estates and royal palaces across England. These filming locations are more than beautiful backdrops: they reveal centuries of architecture, aristocratic life and social history, making them fascinating destinations even for travellers unfamiliar with the Netflix series.
Step beyond the screen to discover the real places behind House of Guinness. From Liverpool’s Victorian architecture and industrial docks to grand estates in North Wales, these filming locations reveal the history behind the scenery and show how real buildings and streets were transformed into 19th-century Dublin and New York.