‘Vikings’ a hit television series from the History Channel has been enthralled audiences worldwide since its release in 2013. If you have seen the series, the mesmerizing landscapes from this spectacular show must have made you wonder where was Vikings filmed. Majority of the show is set in England, Denmark, and other parts of Northern Europe, though there are also scenes set around the Mediterranean. However, many of the iconic Vikings filming locations are actually in Ireland —especially in County Wicklow, often called the Garden of Ireland. This area is known for its lush Nordic-looking landscapes and is filled with mountains, glacial lakes, and forests.
Table of Contents
A Little More About The Vikings TV Series
This historical series with a total of six seasons was created by Michael Hirst, an English screenwriter and producer. It follows the adventures of Ragnar Lodbrok, a legendary 9th-century Viking, and later his family, and is based equally on fact and fiction. The series was so popular that it earned many nominations and awards. It got praised globally not just for the riveting plot and special visual effects but also for its outstanding cinematography, gripping storytelling and beautiful Vikings filming locations.
Famous Vikings Filming Locations To Visit
Come let’s take you through the stunning mountains, lakes, rivers, beaches, waterfalls and countryside that will transport you to the world of the Vikings.
1. Lough Tay, County Wicklow – Kattegat
Lough Tay (also known as “Guinness Lake”) in County Wicklow is one of the main Vikings filming locations. The fjord-style mountains of Wicklow County provide the perfect backdrop for the fictional village. Snow and other Scandinavian elements to the scene were often digitally edited and added to make it apt for the series. Lough Tay is just 50 km from Dublin and is one of the most photographed Vikings filming locations in Ireland.
Why It Matters In Vikings: This is where Ragnar Lothbrok and his family resided in the show and the location was used to represent Kattegat.
Best Time To Visit: Summer months of June, July and August
2. Blessington Lakes, County Wicklow
Blessington lakes that covered 500 acres in the majestic Wicklow Mountains were formed over 50 years ago. This is where Ireland’s largest man-made reservoir (Poulaphouca Reservoir) supplies electricity and water to Dublin and nearby regions. Several scenes were also filmed at the nearby Lough Dan.
Why It Matters In Vikings: Many scenes featuring Ragnar and the other Viking Norsemen exploring the vast season longships were filmed on the Blessington Lakes (especially during the third season).
Best Time To Visit: June to late August
Book Now: City of Vikings Historical Walking Tour
3. Luggula Estate, County Wicklow
Luggula Estate, also known as “Fancy Mountain” played a major role in creating the rugged Scandinavian environment seen throughout Vikings. As the estate is owned by the Guinness family, ask your tour operator to take permission if you wish to see it from close proximity.
Why It Matters In Vikings: The Estate, its mountains and the rugged Scandinavian landscape surrounding Kattegat provided an authentic, untamed backdrop.
Best Time To Visit: March through October
4. Powerscourt Waterfall, County Wicklow
This gorgeous estate and its gardens cover 47 acres and date back to the 13th century. The 400-foot-high Powerscourt Waterfall is among the tallest waterfalls in Ireland and one of the most scenic Vikings shooting locations.
Why It Matters In Vikings: The Waterfall was used in the scene where the audience is first introduced to Aslaug, the future wife of Ragnar.
Best Time To Visit: Autumn months
5. Nuns Beach, County Kerry
Located along the Wild Atlantic Way, Nuns Beach lies just beneath an old convent and gets its name from the nuns who used to bathe there. The beach is accessible by boat or by a very steep path set on the side of the cliffs surrounding it. Due to difficult access, guided boat tours are the safest way to reach Nuns Beach.
Why It Matters In Vikings: Nuns Beach in County Kerry was used to film scenes set in medieval Northumbria.
Best Time To Visit: January, March and September
6. River Boyne, County Meath
Although Season 4 depicts the Vikings sailing down the Seine River to Paris, these scenes were actually filmed on Ireland’s River Boyne in County Meath, with the city of Paris being added in later with CGI.
Why It Matters In Vikings: The Boyne River was picked for filming much of the Viking scenes as it runs through some of the most beautiful countryside in Ireland.
Best Time To Visit: April to July
7. Ashford Studios, County Wicklow
Finally, a lot of the show’s magic happens at Ashford Studios as most part of the series was shot in this studio. Also located in County Wicklow, this campus has been the show’s base since 2013 and has greatly contributed to the making of the series. Ashford Studios became the primary production hub for Vikings, earning Wicklow the nickname “The Hollywood of Europe.”
Why It Matters In Vikings: For indoor scenes, Ashford Studios had set up detailed and immersive sets to create convincing and captivating representation of Kattegat.
Best Time To Visit: late spring and early autumn
Also Read: 25 Outlander Filming Locations Fans Must Visit In Real Life
Other ‘Vikings‘ Filming Locations To Visit
- In addition to Ireland, Vikings was filmed in several international locations such as:
- – Vik Beach and Skógafoss Waterfall in Iceland ‘s South Coast, which we see in Season 5 when boat-builder Flóki sets out on his own and discovers the land, which he names “The Land of the Gods”
- – Parts of the Sahara Desert near Erfoud and Errachidia in Morocco, when in season 5, Ragnar’s eldest son Björn Ironside travels to the Mediterranean and to Sicily (because modern-day Sicily looks nothing like it did in medieval times).
- – The fortress of the Byzantine commander was filmed at the Atlas Film Studios in Ouarzazate. The same fortress has previously been used in several other films, including Kingdom of Heaven (2005), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Gladiator (2000) and The Mummy (1999).
Last but not the least, don’t miss to visit the Dublinia Viking Festival and Museum in Ireland. It is at the Dublinia Viking Festival where one can see what life was like aboard a Viking warship. Different Viking houses, the weapons they used and the clothes exhibited here are sure to take one back in time. The museum too has a good collection of artifacts that shows the blend between the old and new Dublin.
Book Now: 5 Days Shetland Viking Fire Festival Experience
Final Thoughts
These remarkable Vikings shooting locations has been instrumental in creating an immersive depiction of the Viking age that led to the huge success of the series. Must say, the beautiful landscapes of Iceland have left an indelible mark in the hearts of its audience forever. Are there any Vikings filming locations that we’ve missed? If so, be sure to share them in the comments below.
Suggested Reads: Traditional Irish Dishes You Need To Try On Your Next Trip To Ireland!
FAQs On Vikings Filming Locations
The good news for Vikings fans is that, both the real Kattegat Vikings location and the manmade location at Ashford Studios are open for people to visit. During the first two seasons the entire town of Kattegat was the Vikings filming locations. From the filming of the third season the shooting was moved to Ashford Studios in Ireland to make it easy for the cast and crew to get to the location.
The stunning Nuns beach in the west Coast of Ireland is where the battle scene was shot, the black sand beaches near Vík is where the Land of the Gods that Flóki was shot in season 5 and Silverstrand beach in the south of Wicklow are beaches where the Vikings series was filmed.
Although the majority of the series was filmed in Ireland, some breathtaking serene landscapes in Norway were also used to film Vikings. The most significant Norwegian filming location was the village of Avaldsnes in Karmøy as it offered a wealth of stunning landscapes. Apart from these two locations, Denmark, Sweden, distant lands like England, France, and even the Mediterranean’s geographical area was explored over the course of its six seasons.
The Golden land in Vikings discovered by Ubbe and the settlers is believed to be in North America. The land is called ‘Golden Land’ as the land is quite fertile with forest, fruits, water and animals.
The longboat scenes with mountains, are shot on location in Nærøyfjorden in Norway, not Blessington Lakes. Same with the mountain fjord scenes as seen from Kattegat.
Some scenes involving longboats were indeed shot on location in Nærøyfjorden, but many others were filmed in Ireland on Blessington Lake (you can see an article covering it here), and as this article focuses primarily on the show’s filming locations in Ireland, Blessington Lakes is the location we have chosen to include.
I have been going through your blog for quite a while now and i seriously love the updates you give.
Thank you for this beautiful article and specific location. Indeed Ireland an Norway are gorgeous.
Thanks for sharing. I read many of your blog posts, cool, your blog is very good.