Dark Hedges — Game of Thrones' Kingsroad★★
The Dark Hedges are one of the most photogenic roads in the world — an avenue of ancient, gnarled beech trees that intertwine into a natural tunnel over the road, creating an atmosphere that is both fairy-tale-like and eerie. In the morning mist or at dusk, the avenue looks like a portal to another world.
The Dark Hedges became world-famous as a filming location for the Kingsroad in Game of Thrones — the scene where Arya Stark, disguised as a boy, flees north was filmed here. The avenue was planted around 1775 by the Stuart family to beautify the approach to their estate Gracehill House.
The avenue is closed to vehicular traffic. Park in the designated parking area (free) and walk the approximately 500 meters to the avenue. For the best photo, come early in the morning — during the day, the avenue is full of Instagrammers, and the fairy-tale feeling is lost in the crowd.
Other Game of Thrones filming locations in Northern Ireland: Castle Ward (Winterfell, £9), Cushendun Caves (birthplace of the shadow), Ballintoy Harbour (Iron Islands), Tollymore Forest Park (Haunted Forest). For fans, an organized GoT tour from Belfast is worthwhile (£50–70, full day).
