Whether you’re an avid film or TV buff or a traveller who enjoys seeking out great locations and destination gems, there is something amazing about visiting a film location. After all, movie and TV programme directors do tend to pick the best locations for filming simply because it creates memorable backdrops for their movies. This means that as a visitor you are highly likely to be wowed by these film and TV locations. The UK’s landscape, especially in Scotland, is frequently chosen for film locations, such as Star Wars: Episode VII, Macbeth and Skyfall. But did you know that Croatia and Switzerland are increasingly popular spots for TV and movie filming, too? Here we reveal some of the best locations to explore in Croatia and Switzerland.

Visit Croatia’s cities for film and TV locations

Filming of the fantasy TV series, Game of Thrones, took place in the historic cities of Dubrovnik and Split, among other places. It was Dubrovnik that was the main filming location in Croatia for the fictional city, King’s Landing. Filming hotspot: Beautiful Dubrovnik.

Indeed, you can enjoy filming tours in the Dubrovnik district of Trsteno, as well as in the ancient city of Split. If you’re a Game of Thrones fan you’ll easily spot such highlights as the Red Keep, House of the Undying and the setting of the Purple Wedding. Star Wars: Episode VIII also visited beautiful Dubrovnik in 2016. Filming took place in the main street of Stradun. The film is due for release later this year. Also shooting in Dubrovnik in the summer of 2016 was Knightfall, a major historical drama series about the Knights Templar.

The walls of Dubrovnik's old city.

Over the next few months, Dubrovnik’s medieval walls are set to become the backdrop for another blockbuster, this time the Otto Bathurst film Robin Hood: Origins. The Croatian city will be the scene for Nottingham in the movie described as “a gritty version of the rogue do-gooder Robin Hood”. Other films and TV programmes that were shot in Croatia include TV drama, Emerald City (2015), Hunting Party (2007), The Fever (2004) and the UK mini-series Casanova (2005).

Split is also popular with movie directors.

You can visit Dubrovnik and many other areas as part of a Macs Adventure Croatia walking holiday or visit both Dubrovnik and Split as part of an island hopping cycling holiday.

Films feature stunning Switzerland

Switzerland’s rugged and beautiful landscape is an obvious choice for movie makers. Films shot in the northern European country include another Star Wars film, this time Episode III: The Revenge of the Sith. The backdrop of planet Alderaan are the mountains of Grindelwald (digitally enhanced). Why not walk the Grindelwald Trail with Macs Adventure and see some of the scenic splendour for yourself?

The famous Eiger features in several films.

The German film, North Face, is based on the true story of the competition to climb the most dangerous rock face in the Alps, the north face of the Eiger. The Eiger is situated in the Bernese Alps in western Switzerland and offers a breath-taking sight. You can see it for yourself on a walking holiday of the Bernese Oberland. While The Sound of Music is mostly associated with Salzburg in Austria the last shot of the movie is the Von Trapps climbing over the Alps into Switzerland. In the more recent film, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011) viewers saw Sir Arthur Conan Doyle killing off Sherlock Holmes by having him and Moriarty go over Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland. Ironically, the falls were not filmed in Switzerland, but the train scene was filmed near Triengen. A short walking break on the Oberland Trail visits the famous falls. Another famous film The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo also visits Switzerland, although it was actually set in Sweden. In 2014, the espionage thriller, Our Kind of Traitor, which starred Ewan McGregor and Damian Lewis, was also filmed in a number of Swiss locations. Five James Bond films have been filmed in Switzerland, including A View to a Kill, Goldeneye, Goldfinger and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Other films that feature stunning Swiss scenery and backdrops include The Eiger Sanction, Where Eagles Dare, Touching The Void, Contagion, The Golden Compass, The Muppets and Syriana.