Where Was “The Witcher” Filmed?

Binged the series and are now wondering, “where was ‘The Witcher’ filmed?” At Peerspace, we get it! Adapted from the books by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, “The Witcher” has reached new global audiences with the recent Netflix series. The gritty and dark fantasy series follows the Witcher, Geralt of Rivia, played by Henry Cavill. Over the course of the two seasons, viewers have fallen in love with the exploits and adventures of characters like Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri.

When fans aren’t engrossed in the series’ swordplay and political dealings, one of the things they’re sure to be wondering is: where was “The Witcher” filmed? We’ve got the answers about all the filming locations you’ll want to know about if you’re ever on your own trip to “the Continent”. We’ll be covering all the major locations that Geralt has traveled to thus far, from Blaviken to the Empire of Nilfgaard.

“The Witcher” Season 1 Filming Locations

We’re going to kick things off with the season that started everything for the television version of Geralt and the rest of the cast.

Blaviken

Atlas of Wonders has us covered for many of these locations, such as Blaviken, which we visit in the first episode. This is the location where Geralt slays the kikimora, and the production filmed this in some woods outside of Budapest. Interestingly, they filmed the remainder of the Blaviken scenes at the Mafilm Studios, also near Budapest.

More Budapest locations

Mafilm was the location where they filmed the exterior of the wizard Stregabor’s house. If you’re hoping to see the interior courtyard from Stregabor’s house, find it at Jaki Chapel at the Vajdahunyad Castle in Budapest. This is a city park as well, so if you’re looking to visit for yourself, this is a great option.

The next location that Atlas of Wonders has for us is the castle of Cintra, where Ciri resides. They filmed the interiors at a production studio in Budapest, and the exteriors at Fort Monostor, on the border of Hungary and Slovakia. They also utilized the surrounding forests of Fort Monostor for the battles between Cintra and the Nilfgaardian invaders.

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The Canary Islands

For another major filming location in season 1 of “The Witcher” we’ll turn to Get By Bus. They tell us that they filmed several crucial scenes in the Canary Islands.

One of the locations that utilized the gorgeous coastline of the Canary Islands is the magic school of Aretuza. The production did this using CGI over the Roque de Santo Domingo. So if you go to visit for yourself, you’ll have to settle for the amazing view without the towering spire that sits on it in the show. Some of the other Canary Island locations used were Los Tilos Waterfall and the cultural park La Zarza.

Austria

The final season 1 location that we’ll cover is the memorable and terrifying scene in which Geralt fights the Striga. Get By Bus tells us that this is in Austria, at the Kreuzenstein Castle in Leobendorf.

Now that we’ve covered a few of the major locations we can say for sure that we can answer the question “Where was ‘The Witcher’ filmed?”

Before we finish up, let’s go ahead and take a look at some of the filming locations for the second season.

“The Witcher” Season 2 Filming Locations

The COVID-19 pandemic brought a lot of new challenges to filmmaking, and the production of “The Witcher” was no exception. Fans of the show might have seen some unfamiliar locations and wondered to themselves, “Where was ‘The Witcher’ filmed?”

Arborfield Film Studios

Instead of using the same locations from the first season, season 2 production took place in the United Kingdom.

According to Screen Rant, this meant that they filmed the majority of the production at Arborfield Film Studios, about 65 kilometers west of London. The studios have been transformed into “the Continent,” with an entire town being constructed there.

Coldharbour Wood

Another memorable location here is Kaer Morhen, the Witcher castle. The majority of the production that wasn’t filmed at Arborfield Film Studios was at Coldharbour Wood and Bourne Wood in the United Kingdom.

One of the more notable scenes that they filmed in Coldharbour Wood is the Elven village in the forest. However, they used Bourne Wood in the first episode to show the aftermath of the epic battle at the end of the first season.

The Lake District

Last up in our effort to answer the question “Where was ‘The Witcher’ filmed?” is North Yorkshire and the Lake District. According to Atlas of Wonders, this area was home to several key scenes in season 2.

They filmed the cave near Kaer Morhen at Hodge Close Quarry in the Lake District. And luckily, this gorgeous excavation site is one of many Witcher locations that fans can visit.

Another nearby location is the waterfall where the monster chases Ciri. This area is known as Gordale Scar and is also in the Lake District.

While you’re in North Yorkshire, be sure to stop by Fountains Abbey and see the temple ruins in Aretuza. Apparently, this historic Abbey was founded all the way back in the 12th century!

Don’t forget the ultra-creepy “Midnight Mass”! Uncover its filming locations here!

Blea Tarn and the Temple

Also in the Lake District are the snowy hilltops of Blea Tarn, which you can see in the fourth episode of season 2.

And our final location that we’re going to visit in the Lake District is the Temple of Melitele. They shot the interiors of the temple at Arborfield Film Studios like the rest of the interior shots of the season. However, they created the exterior shots using digital effects in post-production.

Where will they film the third season of “The Witcher”? We can’t wait to find out!

Find your own “Witcher”-inspired filming location

If you’re an aspiring creative or filmmaker trying to capture your own “Witcher” vibe, Peerspace should be the first place you look.

They have thousands of amazing filming locations and production studios available for rent by the hour, so you’re sure to find something that will fit your needs.

Find unique filming locations on Peerspace