Editing World of A Song of Ice and Fire (section)

==Westeros {{anchor|Westeros}}==
{{Redirect|Westeros|the website|A Song of Ice and Fire fandom{{!}}''A Song of Ice and Fire'' fandom|the "Westeros the Series" viral video|Zondag met Lubach{{!}}''Zondag met Lubach''|similarly sounding locations|Västerås|and|Wester Ross}}
{{further|Heptarchy}}
{{Infobox fictional location
| name = Westeros
| image = Westeros.map.jpg
| imagesize = 250px
| caption = A map of the Westeros continent
| source = [[A Song of Ice and Fire]]
| creator = [[George R. R. Martin]]
| genre = [[High fantasy]]
| type = [[Continent]]
| locations = [[King's Landing (A Song of Ice and Fire)|King's Landing]], [[Seven Kingdoms (A Song of Ice and Fire)|Seven Kingdoms]]
| people = [[Tyrion Lannister]], [[Jon Snow (character)|Jon Snow]], [[Daenerys Targaryen]], [[Eddard Stark]], [[Catelyn Stark]], [[Sansa Stark]], [[Arya Stark]], [[Bran Stark]], [[Cersei Lannister]], [[Jaime Lannister]], [[Theon Greyjoy]]
| first = ''[[A Game of Thrones]]''
}}
The story takes place primarily on an elongated continent called '''Westeros''', which is roughly the size of [[South America]].  The continent is home to the '''Seven Kingdoms''', also known as "the Realm" or the "Sunset Kingdom", located to the south side of [[#The Wall|the Wall]], a massive man-made ice wall (allegedly fused with magic) 700 feet in height and spanning east–west for 300 miles from coast to coast.  The Seven Kingdoms are further divided into the so-called "[[#The North|North]]" and "South" by a [[swamp]]-rich [[isthmus]] called '''the Neck'''.  The land north of the Wall still makes up a large chunk of Westeros (being roughly the size of [[Canada]]), but remains largely unmapped and unexplored, especially the [[ice field]] region north and west of a massive [[mountain range]] called the Frostfangs, which marks the farthest geographic limit of [[human settlement]]s.<ref group=S name=HBOYouTubeWildlings/><ref group=S name=newyorker/>  The northern extent of the continent is therefore unknown, although thought to be continuous with a [[polar ice cap]] north of the Shivering Sea known as the White Waste.

At the novel's beginning, the majority of Westeros is united under the rule of a single king, whose seat is the "Iron Throne" in the city of King's Landing. The king has a large number of minor direct vassals in area known as the Crownlands, surrounding King's Landing; while each of the other regions is functionally controlled by a different major noble house, who all wield significant power in their own lands, while owing fealty to the Iron Throne. Martin here drew inspiration from medieval European history,<ref group=S name=deepmagic41/><ref group=S name=grmm_iv_polish/> in particular the [[Hundred Years' War]], the [[Crusades]], the [[Albigensian Crusade]], and the [[Wars of the Roses]].<ref group=S name=deepmagic41/><ref group=S name=grrm_iv_sffworld/>

The first inhabitants of the continent were the [[Children of the Forest]], a nature-worshipping [[Stone Age]] anthropoid species who carved the faces of their gods in weirwood trees. Some time later, [[Bronze Age]] human settlers, known as the First Men, migrated from Essos via a [[land bridge]] at the southeastern end of the continent and gradually spread to the entire continent.  The First Men's attempts to chop down forests and cultivate the land led to a millennia-long war with the Children of the Forest, that eventually was settled by an agreement known as "The Pact". This was the beginning of the Age of Heroes, during which the First Men adopted the religion of the Children of the Forest. Those gods later became known in Westeros as the [[Themes in A Song of Ice and Fire#Old Gods|Old Gods]].{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Bran VII, pp. 737–739}}

Eight thousand years before the events of the novels,{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Jon VIII, p. 656}} an enigmatic arctic humanoid species called the [[Others (A Song of Ice and Fire)|Others]] emerged from the Land of Always Winter, the northernmost part of Westeros, during the decades-long winter known as "The Long Night".{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Bran IV, pp. 239–240}} The Children of the Forest and the First Men allied to repel the Others, and then built the Wall barring passage from the far north. The region north of the Wall was since collectively known as the land "Beyond the Wall", and settled by tribal descendants of the First Men known as the Wildlings or Free Folk.

{{anchor|Seven Kingdoms|7 Kingdoms|7 kingdoms}}
Sometime later, the [[Iron Age]] humans from Essos called the Andals invaded Westeros, bringing along the [[Themes in A Song of Ice and Fire#Faith of the Seven|Faith of the Seven]]. One by one, kingdoms of the First Men south of the Neck fell to the Andals, and only the North remained unconquered. The Children of the Forest were slaughtered and disappeared from Andal lands. Over time, seven relatively stable feudal kingdoms were forged across Westeros, although their territories fluctuated over the next few thousand years through constant warfare, and no kingdom remained dominant for long:
* The [[#The North|Kingdom of the North]], ruled by [[House Stark]] of [[Winterfell]]
* The [[#The Iron Islands|Kingdom of the Isles]] and the [[#The Riverlands|Rivers]], ruled by House Hoare of [[Harrenhal]]
* The [[#The Vale of Arryn|Kingdom of Mountain and Vale]], ruled by [[House Arryn]] of [[the Eyrie]]
* The [[#The Westerlands|Kingdom of the Rock]], ruled by [[House Lannister]] of [[Casterly Rock]]
* The [[#The Stormlands|Storm Kingdom]], ruled by House Durrandon of [[Storm's End]]
* The [[#The Reach|Kingdom of the Reach]], ruled by House Gardener of [[Highgarden]]
* The [[#Dorne|Principality of Dorne]], ruled by [[House Martell]] of [[Sunspear]].<ref group=S name=eventhorizon_chat/>

Three hundred years before the novels begin, the [[Targaryen]] dragonlord [[Aegon the Conqueror]] and his two [[consanguine marriage|sister-wives]] Visenya and Rhaenys, whose ancestors migrated from [[#Valyria|Valyria]] to [[#Dragonstone|Dragonstone]]{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Appendix: House Targaryen, p. 832}} a century prior, invaded the Westerosi mainland and landed his army at the [[river mouth|mouth]] of the Blackwater Rush.{{sfn|''A Feast for Crows''|loc=Cersei VI, p. 600}}  The three assembled a temporary [[bastion]] called "Aegonfort", which later grew into the massive capital city known as [[#King's Landing|King's Landing]].{{sfn|''A Feast for Crows''|loc=Cersei VI, p. 600}}  Aided by their three formidable [[Fire-breathing monster|fire-breathing]] [[dragon]]s, the Targaryen armies subdued six of the Seven Kingdoms through conquest or treaty, wiping out three of the seven ruling houses that refused to bend their knees, replacing house Durrandon with house Baratheon, house Gardener with house Tyrell, and house Hoare with houses Tully (in the Riverlands) and Greyjoy (on the Iron Islands).  Only the defiant Dorne remained independent for almost another two hundred years through [[asymmetric warfare|asymmetric]] [[guerrilla warfare|guerrilla resistance]], until it was finally absorbed under the Iron Throne through a marriage-alliance by King Daeron II in 187 AC.{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Appendix: House Martell, p. 830}}  The Targaryens built the [[Iron Throne (A Song of Ice and Fire)|Iron Throne]], forged from the swords of their defeated enemies by dragonfire.  They also annexed the land regions of the riverlands and stormlands around the Blackwater Bay as the [[#The Crownlands|Crownlands]].  House Targaryen remained the ruling house of the Seven Kingdoms for almost three centuries until they were overthrown by a rebellion led by [[Robert Baratheon]] in 283 AC, who then became the first king of the Seven Kingdoms not of House Targaryen.

Martin took the name Westeros from the Scottish region [[Wester Ross]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1113613/game-of-thrones-grisly-scottish-history-westeros|title=Game of Thrones: How grisly Scottish history inspired Westeros|date=12 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/film-and-tv/how-scottish-history-has-inspired-game-thrones-1477973|title=How Scottish history has inspired Game of Thrones|date=26 April 2016 }}</ref>

The southern half of Westeros is based on an inverted map of [[Ireland]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2016/0731/806078-game-of-thrones/|title=Mapping Game Of Thrones - it's actually Kerry|date=July 31, 2016|via=www.rte.ie}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/arid-30923389.html|title=Game of Thrones: Westeros began 'as upside-down Ireland'|date=May 11, 2019|website=Irish Examiner}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.todayfm.com/best-bits/game-thrones-westeros-actually-upside-ireland-848820|title=Game of Thrones: Westeros Is Actually An Upside Down Ireland|first=Alison|last=Healy|website=TodayFM}}</ref>

===The North {{anchor|The North|The Neck}}===
The North consists of the northern half of the Seven Kingdoms{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Map}} and is ruled by [[House Stark]] from their castle at Winterfell.{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Bran I, p. 14}} The North is sparsely populated, but nearly as big as the other six southern kingdoms combined.{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Eddard I, p. 41}} Martin compared the North to Scotland.<ref group=S name=denverpost_grrm/> The climate is cold overall, with hard winters and mild snows common regardless of the season. Beyond the wall in the far north, the climate is polar with heavy snow while further south, it is milder with more rain.{{Sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Eddard I, p. 41}} The region's northern border is the Gift, a stretch of land 50 [[league (unit)|league]]s wide given to the possession of the [[Night's Watch]].{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Bran III, p. 546}} However, due to Wildling raids it is filled with abandoned towns and farms.

An [[isthmus]] called The Neck separates the North from the South.{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Map}}{{sfn|''A Clash of Kings''|loc=Bran III, p. 329}} It is dominated by [[swampland]]s and is home to short, marsh-dwelling [[crannog]]men ruled by House Reed of Greywater Watch, loyal bannermen of House Stark.{{sfn|''A Clash of Kings''|loc=Bran III, p. 329}}{{sfn|''A Clash of Kings''|loc=Appendix: The King in the North, p. 985}} The Neck's difficult [[wetland]] terrain is infested by predatory [[alligator|lizard-lion]]s, restricting the only dryland passage to a [[causeway]] commanded by the almost impenetrable stronghold of Moat Cailin, which protected the North from land invasion from the south for thousands of years.{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Catelyn V, pp. 633–635}} The city of White Harbor, located at the [[river mouth|mouth]] of the White Knife river, is a thriving [[port]] and the fifth largest settlement in the Seven Kingdoms.{{sfn|''A Dance with Dragons''|loc=Jon I, p. 53}}

[[Illegitimate children]] born of a noble parent and acknowledged by said parent in the North are given the surname Snow.{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Catelyn VI, p. 369}}

====Winterfell====
{{redirect|Winterfell|the episode of the television series|Winterfell (Game of Thrones episode){{!}}Winterfell (''Game of Thrones'' episode)|the company|Winterfell Industries}}
Winterfell is the ancestral castle of [[House Stark]] and the political capital of the North.  Located at the geographical center of the North, it has a cold, subarctic climate with snowy winters and cool summers. The castle was built over a natural [[hot spring]], whose scalding water runs inside the castle walls and warms its halls and rooms as well as the [[greenhouse|glass garden]] at its northwestern corner. There are several open pools where heated water collects within the godswood. The hot spring also prevents the ground from freezing.{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Catelyn II, p. 58}}  The castle has deep [[catacombs]] called "the crypt", where bodies of deceased Starks are entombed behind statues in their likeness with a [[direwolf (Game of Thrones)|direwolf]] at their feet and their swords in their hands.{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Eddard I, pp. 42–43}} The tombs have been used since the old kings of the North, known as the Kings of Winter, were in power. They ruled since before the arrival of the Andals.{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Eddard I, pp. 42–43}}

To depict Winterfell, both the pilot and season 1 of the television adaptation used the 16th century clock tower and ancient courtyard of [[Castle Ward]] in [[County Down]], Northern Ireland.<ref group=S name=go_hbofilmed/> [[Doune Castle]] in [[Stirling]], Scotland, which was previously featured as Castle Anthrax in the film ''[[Monty Python and the Holy Grail]]'', was also used for exterior scenes.<ref group=S name="BBC News 23 October 2009"/> [[Saintfield]] Estates stood in as Winterfell's godswood, an enclosed wooded area where characters can worship the old gods beside trees with faces carved in their bark.<ref group=S name=go_hbofilmed/> A car park stood in for Winterfell's courtyard, and a wine cellar was used to depict the Stark family crypt.<ref group=S name="Den of Geek 29 February 2012"/> [[Tollymore Forest]] featured prominently in the prologue of the pilot episode and in the pivotal scene where the Starks first find the direwolves. [[Cairncastle]], meanwhile, served as the location where [[Ned Stark]] beheads the deserter Will.<ref group=S name=go_hbofilmed/> The interior of Winterfell, such as the Tower of the First Keep, the Great Hall, and Catelyn's bedchamber, were filmed at [[The Paint Hall]] studio.<ref group=S name=mogot_missives/> Set designer [[Gemma Jackson]] said, "Winterfell was based on a Scottish castle."<ref group=S name=dailybeast_secrets/>

====The Wall====
[[File:HadrianWall (xto.photo).jpg|thumb|The Wall in the ''Ice and Fire'' series was inspired by [[Hadrian's Wall]] in the North of England.]]
The Wall is a huge structure of stone, ice, and magic{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Bran IV, p. 770}} on the northern border of the Seven Kingdoms.{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Map}} It is home to the [[Night's Watch]], a brotherhood sworn to protect the realms of men from the threats beyond the Wall.{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Samwell II, p. 450}}

The Wall was inspired by Martin's visit to [[Hadrian's Wall]], in the [[Northern England|North of England]] close to the border with [[Scotland]]. Looking out over the hills, Martin wondered what a [[centurion|Roman centurion]] from the [[Mediterranean]] would feel, not knowing what threats might come from the north.<ref group=S name=grrm_iv_sfsite2/> This experience was so profound that a decade later, in 1991, he wanted to "write a story about the people guarding the end of the world",<ref group=S name=tiff2/> and ultimately "the things that come out of the [fictional] north are a good deal more terrifying than [[Scottish people|Scotsmen]] or [[Picts]]".<ref group=S name=smartertravel/>

Martin adjusted the size, length, and magical nature of the Wall for [[genre fiction|genre]] demands;<ref group=S name=grrm_iv_sfsite2/> [[Jon Snow (character)|Jon Snow]]'s chapters describe it as approximately {{convert|300|mi}} long{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Jon VI, p. 520}} and {{convert|700|ft}} high in general, rising up to a perceived {{convert|900|ft}} in spots due to huge foundation blocks.{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Jon IV, pp. 405–406}} The top is wide enough for a dozen mounted knights to ride abreast (approximately 30&nbsp;ft or 10&nbsp;m),{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Jon III, pp. 184–186}} while the base is so thick that the Wall's gates are more like tunnels through the ice.{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords'' |loc=Bran III, p. 550}}

The novels' legends claim that the First Men,{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Jon IX, p. 784}} or more specifically Brandon the Builder with the possible help of children of the forest and giants,{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Bran IV, pp. 239–240}}{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Jon V, p. 557}} constructed the Wall some 8,000 years before the events of the series.{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Eddard I, p. 46}}

The Wall has since been maintained by the Night's Watch to guard the realms of men against threats from beyond, originally the Others, and later against [[wildling (character)|wildling]] raids.{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Jon VIII, p. 656}}{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Samwell II, p. 450}}

A strip of land known as "the Gift", now stretching 50 [[league (unit)|leagues]] (about {{convert|150|mi}}) south of the wall, was given to them in [[perpetuity]] thousands of years earlier for cultivation.{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Bran III, p. 546}}{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Samwell V, p. 1077}} In ''A Game of Thrones'', of the nineteen castles built along the wall, only three are still manned:{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Jon III, pp. 184–186}} Castle Black with 600 men, and the Shadow Tower and Eastwatch-by-the-Sea with 200 men each.{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Tyrion III, p. 206}} Parts of Castle Black have fallen into ruin.{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Jon III, pp. 184–186}}

The TV series' Castle Black and the Wall were filmed in the abandoned [[Magheramorne#Game of Thrones|Magheramorne]] Quarry near [[Belfast]], [[Northern Ireland]],<ref group=S name=go_hbofilmed/> whereas the scenes shot atop the wall were filmed inside [[Paint Hall Studios]].<ref group=S name=go_hbofilmed/> The composite set (with both exteriors and interiors) consisted of a large section of Castle Black including the courtyard, the ravenry, the mess hall, and the barracks, and used the stone wall of the quarry as the basis for the ice wall that protects Westeros from the dangers that dwell beyond. They also made a functional elevator to lift the rangers to the top of the Wall.<ref group=S name=mogot_fresh/> A castle with real rooms and a working elevator were built near a cliff {{convert|400|ft}} high.<ref group=S name=fodors/><ref group=S name=tiff2/> "Working construction lifts were discovered at a nearby work site and rise 18 feet; [[Computer-generated imagery|CGI]] fills in the rest to make the wall appear 700 feet high."<ref group=S name=dailybeast_secrets/> The area around the elevator was painted white to make it look like ice. Martin was surprised by the height and thought: "Oh I may have made the wall too big!"<ref group=S name=tiff2/> Martin observed: "It's a pretty spectacular, yet miserable location. It is wet and rainy, and the mud is thick....[it] really gets the actors in the mood of being at the end of the world in all of this cold and damp and chill."<ref group=S name=fodors/>

====Beyond the Wall====
[[File:OeraefajoekullMorning.jpg|thumb|Season 2 of the TV adaptation featured scenes set north of the Wall that were filmed on the [[Vatnajökull]] glacier in Iceland.]]
''A Clash of Kings'' takes the story to the lands Beyond the Wall, although the first five books do not explore "what lies really north ... but we will in the last two books". The TV adaptation used [[Iceland]] as filming location for the lands Beyond the Wall. Martin, who has never been to Iceland, said Beyond the Wall was "considerably larger than Iceland and the area closest to my Wall is densely forested, so in that sense it's more like Canada{{snd}} [[Hudson Bay]] or the Canadian forests just north of [[Michigan]]. And then as you get further and further north, it changes. You get into [[tundra]] and [[ice field]]s and it becomes more of an [[arctic]] environment. You have [[plain]]s on one side and a very high range of mountains on the other. Of course, once again this is fantasy, so my mountains are more like the [[Himalayas]]." In an HBO featurette, Martin stated the lands beyond the wall make up a big part of Westeros, being roughly the size of Canada.<ref group=S name=smartertravel/> The Valley of Thenn is one such location beyond the Wall, and north of that is the Lands of Always Winter, where the Others come from.

During the first season, the HBO team used places that they could decorate with artificial snow for the north of the Wall, but a bigger landscape was chosen for Season 2. "Primary filming for these scenes, which encompass both the Frostfangs and the Fist of the First Men, occurred at the [[Svínafellsjökull]] [[Ice calving|calving]] [[glacier]] in [[Skaftafell]], Iceland, followed by shooting near [[Smyrlabjörg]] and [[Vík í Mýrdal]] on [[Höfðabrekkuheiði]]. Benioff said, "We always knew we wanted something shatteringly beautiful and barren and brutal for this part of Jon's journey, because he's in the true North now. It's all real. It's all in camera. We're not doing anything in postproduction to add mountains or snow or anything."<ref group=S name=go_hbofilmed/>

===The Iron Islands===
The Iron Islands are a group of seven islands to the west of Westeros – Pyke, Great Wyk, Old Wyk, Harlaw, Saltcliffe, Blacktyde, and Orkmont – in Ironman's Bay off the west coast of the continent.{{sfn|''A Feast for Crows''|loc=Map}} Ruled by [[House Greyjoy]] of Pyke,{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Appendix: House Greyjoy, pp. 827–828}} the isles are described as bare and barren, with the local weather being "windy and cold, and damp".{{sfn|''A Clash of Kings''|loc=Theon I, pp. 165–166}} The members of this seafaring nation are known in the rest of Westeros as Ironmen,{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Appendix: House Greyjoy, pp. 827–828}} and to themselves as Ironborn.{{sfn|''A Clash of Kings''|loc=Theon I, p. 917}} Illegitimate children born in the Iron Islands are given the surname Pyke.{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Tyrion IV, p. 439}}{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Jon VI, p. 664}}

For fierce raids, the Ironmen are titled the "terror of the seas".{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Appendix: House Greyjoy, pp. 827–828}} They worship the Drowned God, who "had made them to reave and rape, to carve out kingdoms and write their names in fire and blood and song".{{sfn|''A Clash of Kings''|loc=Theon I, p. 169}} The appendix of ''A Game of Thrones'' summarizes that the Ironmen once ruled over the Riverlands and much of the western coast of Westeros. When Aegon the Conqueror extinguished Harren the Black's line, he chose House Greyjoy as the new rulers of the Ironmen.{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Appendix: House Greyjoy, pp. 827–828}}

====Pyke====
[[File:Ballintoy Harbour - geograph.org.uk - 19750.jpg|thumb|For the TV adaptation, the harbour of [[Ballintoy]] in Northern Ireland was redressed as the port of Pyke.]]
Pyke is the seat of [[House Greyjoy]].{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Appendix: House Greyjoy, pp. 827–828}} The television adaptation filmed the scenes of Pyke's port at Lordsport Harbour in [[Ballintoy Harbour]], in Northern Ireland's [[County Antrim]].<ref group=S name=go_hbofilmed/><ref group=S name=Skyscanner/> The sea has worn away much of the rock on which Pyke originally stood, so the castle now consists mostly of a main keep on the main island and smaller towers perched on rocks surrounded by sea.{{sfn|''A Clash of Kings''|loc=Theon I, pp. 165–166}}

====Old Wyk====
Old Wyk is the smallest and holiest island in the Iron Islands. It is where Kingsmoots are held, and where the Grey King slew Nagga, a sea dragon, and made a court of his bones.

===The Riverlands===
The Riverlands are the populous and fertile<ref group="S" name="ssm_strength"/> areas surrounding the forks of the river Trident on Westeros. While they form one of the nine regions of Westeros, the Riverlands' central location and geographic features made the region an inter-kingdom battle zone that changed hands rather than becoming its own 'eighth' kingdom of the Seven Kingdoms.<ref group="S" name="ssm_bywater"/> Centrally located between the Westerlands, the Crownlands, the Vale, and the North<ref group="S" name="hbo_viewersguide_map"/> and lacking the natural defenses of other regions,<ref group="S" name="Riverrunvmap"/> they have seen frequent warfare.<ref group="S" name="ssm_bywater"/> The first ruler to unite the Riverlands was Benedict Justman, but the Justman dynasty died out three centuries later. The Durrandons conquered the Riverlands, but lost rule of it to Harwyn "Hardhand" Hoare, King of the Iron Islands. At the time of Aegon's conquest, the Riverlands were ruled by Harwyn's grandson, Harren the Black, king of the Iron Islands, and the Tullys were local nobles who rebelled against him by joining Aegon the Conqueror.<ref group="S" name="Tullyvguide"/> As with Westerosi customs to give bastards a surname showing their origins,{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Catelyn VI, p. 369}} illegitimate children born in the Riverlands are given the surname Rivers.{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Catelyn IX, p. 649}}

====Harrenhal====
Harrenhal is an enormous ruined castle and is the site of many important events in the novels. Harrenhal was built by Harren the Black,<ref group=S name=Harrenhalvmap/> after his conquest of the Riverlands, intending to make it the largest fortification ever built in Westeros. The castle has been described as so large that an entire army was needed to garrison it. The Great Hall had 35 hearths and seated thousands. Shortly after the castle was completed, Aegon the Conqueror's dragon slew Harren, his sons, and his entire army by setting the castle alight.

Since then, the ruins of the castle have been occupied by a variety of houses, all of which eventually became extinct. As a result, the people of Westeros believe the castle is cursed.<ref group=S name=Harrenhalvmap/> The logistical and economic difficulties inherent in keeping such an enormous castle maintained and garrisoned has made it something of a [[white elephant]]. At the start of the War of the Five Kings, the castle is in ruin, with only a fraction of it habitable, and held by Lady Shella Whent, the last of her House, who is stripped of Harrenhal when the Lannisters seize her castle. The castle changes hands repeatedly over the course of the novels, many of those holding it meeting unpleasant ends.

====Riverrun====
Riverrun is the ancestral stronghold of House Tully. The castle is located along one of the "forks" of the Trident and controls access to the interior of Westeros. The castle is bordered on two sides by the Tumblestone River and the Red Fork. The third side fronts on a massive manmade ditch. It was built by Ser Axel Tully on land he received from the Andal King Armistead Vance.

The castle is the location of [[Robb Stark]]'s great victory over [[House Lannister]] and the site of his crowning. By the end of ''[[A Feast for Crows]]'', [[Brynden Tully]] surrenders the castle to Jaime Lannister to spare further bloodshed. Riverrun then passed into the hands of Emmon Frey, an ally of House Lannister.

====The Twins====
The Twins is a large double castle straddling the Green Fork river; the two halves of the castle are connected by a bridge that is the only crossing of the river for hundreds of miles.  The Twins is the seat of [[House Frey]], which has grown wealthy by charging a toll of all those who cross for the past six centuries. Because the Freys are both wealthy and numerous, theirs is one of the most powerful houses sworn to [[House Tully]]. The castle's strategic position gives House Frey enormous importance in times of war.

When Robb Stark goes to The Twins to repair his alliance with House Frey, the Freys massacre him, his mother, and his army (and in the TV adaptation, his wife): an event known as "[[The Red Wedding]]", which violates native customs of [[hospitality#Celtic cultures|guest right]] and incurs enmity throughout the Seven Kingdoms, especially in the Riverlands and North.

===The Vale of Arryn===
[[File:Meteore.jpg|thumb|For the TV adaptation, images of the Greek rock formations of [[Meteora]] were used for the composite views of the Vale.]]
The Vale is the area surrounded almost completely by the Mountains of the Moon in the east of Westeros. The Vale is under the rulership of [[House Arryn]], one of the oldest lines of Andal nobility and formerly Kings of Mountain and Vale. Their seat, the Eyrie, is a castle high in the mountains, small but considered unassailable. The only way to reach the Vale is by a mountain road teeming with animals called 'shadowcats', rock slides, and dangerous mountain clans. The mountain road ends at the Vale's sole entrance, the Bloody Gate: a pair of twin watchtowers, connected by a covered bridge, on the rocky mountain slopes over a very narrow path. The protection of the surrounding mountains gives the Vale itself a temperate climate, fertile meadows, and woods. The snowmelt from the mountains and a constant waterfall that never freezes, named Alyssa's Tears, provide plentiful water. The Vale has rich black soil, wide slow-moving rivers, and hundreds of small lakes. Illegitimate children born in the Vale are given the surname Stone.{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Catelyn VI, p. 369}}

====The Eyrie====
[[File:Castle_Neuschwanstein.jpg|thumbnail|The German [[Neuschwanstein Castle|castle of Neuschwanstein]], on which the Eyrie is based]]
Based on the German castle of [[Neuschwanstein]],<ref group=S name=westeros.orgKepler/> the Eyrie is the seat of House Arryn. It is situated on the Giant's Lance and reachable only by a narrow mule trail, guarded by the Gates of the Moon and three small castles, titled Stone, Snow, and Sky. Travelers must enter the Gates of the Moon and its upper bailey before reaching the narrow path up the mountain. The steps up the Giant's Lance starts directly behind the Gates of the Moon. The Eyrie clings to the mountain and is six hundred feet above Sky. The last part of the climb to the Eyrie is something of a cross between a chimney and a stone ladder, which leads to the Eyrie's cellar entrance.

The Eyrie is the smallest of the great castles in the story, consisting of seven slim towers bunched tightly together. It has no stables, kennels, or smithies, but the towers can house 500 men, and the [[granary]] can sustain a small household for a year or more. The Eyrie does not keep livestock on hand; all dairy produce, meats, fruits, vegetables, etc., must be brought from the Vale below. Its cellars hold six great winches with long iron chains to draw supplies and occasionally guests from below.  [[Oxen]] are used to raise and lower them. Winter snows can make supplying the fortress impossible. The Eyrie's dungeons, known as "sky cells", are left open to the sky on one side and have sloping floors that put prisoners in danger of slipping or rolling off the edge. Executions in the Eyrie are carried out via the Moon Door, which opens from the high hall onto a 600-foot drop.

The Eyrie is made of pale stone and primarily decorated with the blue and white colors of House Arryn. Elegant details provide warmth and comfort through plentiful fireplaces, carpets, and luxurious fabrics. Many of the chambers have been described to be warm and comfortable, with magnificent views of the Vale, the Mountains of the Moon, or the waterfall. The Maiden's Tower is the easternmost of the seven slender towers, so all the Vale can be seen from its windows and balconies. The apartments of the Lady of the Eyrie open over a small garden planted with blue flowers and ringed by white towers, containing grass and scattered statuary, with the central statue of a weeping woman believed to be Alyssa Arryn, around low, flowering shrubs. The lord's chambers have doors of solid oak, and plush [[velvet]] curtains covering windows of small rhomboid panes of glass. The High Hall has a blue silk carpet leading to the carved weirwood thrones of the Lord and Lady Arryn. The floors and walls are of milk-white marble veined with blue. Daylight enters down through high narrow arched windows along the eastern wall, and there are some fifty high iron sconces where torches may be lit.{{citation needed|date=April 2012}}

The Eyrie was held by Lord Jon Arryn, who fostered Ned Stark and Robert Baratheon prior to Robert's Rebellion (also known as the War of the Usurper). After the war, Lord Arryn served as King Robert I Baratheon's Hand of the King (prime minister). After Lord Arryn was assassinated, his wife, Lady Lysa Arryn, took her sickly child, Robert, and fled to the Eyrie. Lysa refused to align herself with any of the claimants during the War of the Five Kings, but eventually pretends to a possible alliance with House Lannister after Lord Petyr Baelish agrees to marry her. Later Baelish kills Lysa after she attempts to murder her niece, Sansa Stark. As of ''Feast for Crows'', Baelish rules in the Eyrie as the Lord Protector and Regent for the sickly, epileptic Lord Robert "Robin" Arryn, and plans for Sansa to marry Harold Harding, who will become heir to the Eyrie and the Vale in the event of young Robin Arryn's death.{{sfn|''A Feast for Crows''|loc=Alayne, Chapter 41}}

For the CGI compositions of the Vale of Arryn in the TV series, as seen in the establishing shot of the Eyrie and from the sky cells, the visual effects team used images and textures from the Greek rock formations of [[Meteora]]. Initially they had been considering the [[Wulingyuan|Zhangjiajie Mountains]] in China, but because the landscape base plates were shot in Northern Ireland, using Meteora resulted in a better option.<ref group=S name=btlnews_bluebolt/> Set designer Gemma Jackson said, "A lot of the mosaics in the Eyrie were based on a beautiful chapel I visited in Rome."<ref group=S name=dailybeast_secrets/> The interior of the High Hall of the Arryns was filmed at The Paint Hall, occupying one of the four soundstages there. Martin acknowledged that the set differed significantly from its presentation in the books: "In the books, the room is long and rectangular. But [The Paint Hall soundstage] had essentially a square space, which they chose to put a round hall in, with a staircase curving up to a throne that was high above."<ref group=S name=aoltv_qa/>

===The Westerlands===
The Westerlands are the Westerosi lands to the west of the Riverlands and north of the Reach. They are ruled by House Lannister of Casterly Rock, formerly Kings of the Rock. People of this region are often called "Westermen." Lannisport, lying hard by Casterly Rock, is the chief town of the region and one of the great ports and cities of Westeros. The Westerlands are rich in precious metals, mostly gold, which is the source of their wealth.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-10-05|title=Game Of Thrones: 10 Great Houses Ranked From Poorest To Richest (And How Much They're Worth)|url=https://screenrant.com/game-of-thrones-great-houses-worth/|access-date=2020-11-05|website=ScreenRant|language=en-US}}</ref> Keeping with Westerosi customs to give bastards a surname showing their origins,{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Catelyn VI, p. 369}} illegitimate children born in the Westerlands are given the surname Hill.{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Prologue, p. 12}}

====Casterly Rock====
[[File:Rock of Gibraltar northwest.jpg|thumb|Casterly Rock was inspired by the [[Rock of Gibraltar]] (pictured).]]
A stronghold carved from a mountain overlooking the harbor city of Lannisport and the sea beyond, Casterly Rock is the ancestral seat of [[House Lannister]]. According to popular legend, the hero known as Lann the Clever tricked the Casterlys into giving up the Rock, and took it for himself. The Rock is renowned as the wealthiest region due to its abundance of gold deposits, and it is one of the strongest castles of the Seven Kingdoms as it's a completely hollowed out mountain taller than even the Wall. It has never been taken in battle, despite attacks by the Iron Islanders and the plans of Robb Stark in the War of the Five Kings. It was held by Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] before the [[War of the Five Kings]], but after his death, Queen Regent [[Cersei Lannister]] made one of her cousins [[castellan]] of the castle. As of ''[[A Dance with Dragons]]'', the narrative has not actually taken place in Casterly Rock, yet descriptions of it have been offered by the Lannisters in the POV chapters.

West of Casterly Rock is the coastal city of Lannisport. A busy port under the governance of the Lannisters of Casterly Rock, Lannisport thrives as a protected and wealthy city. The city is also home to many lesser Lannisters and other distant cousins with similar surnames, such as Lannys.

George R. R. Martin stated on his blog that he drew inspiration for Casterly Rock from the [[Rock of Gibraltar]].<ref group=S name=grrm_blog_080529/>

===The Reach===
[[File:Castillo de Almodovar (11801978016).jpg|thumb|The [[Castle of Almodóvar del Río]] in Córdoba, Spain, which represented Highgarden in ''Game of Thrones'']]
The Reach is the southwestern region of Westeros along the [[river valley|valley]]s of the Mander (the largest river in Westeros) and the Honeywine. It is the second-largest of the kingdoms in terms of geographical area (behind only the North) and is the most fertile and heavily populated region of Westeros. The wealth and power of the Reach comes from its warm, sunny climate, which grants bountiful harvests of farm foods and the most sought-after wines.  During times of war, the expansive lands of the Reach and its abundance of foods protects their inhabitants from initial famine and sickness. The Reach is considered the home of [[chivalry]] in Westeros, and is the place where [[knighthood]] is looked upon with the greatest reverence, and where the rules for [[tourney]]s are the most stringent and managed. The most prominent [[population center]] in the Reach is Oldtown, Westeros's oldest and second largest city and [[port]] as well as the home to the Maesters' Citadel and the former [[ecclesiastical capital|religious seat]] of the Faith of the Seven, situated at the mouth of the Honeywine estuary.{{citation needed|date=April 2012}}

The Reach was historically known as the Green Realm, ruled by King of the Reach from House Gardener in Highgarden. During Aegon's conquest, the last Gardener King, Mern IX, was killed along with all his heirs and kins on the Field of Fire. [[House Tyrell]], the stewards to House Gardener, surrendered Highgarden to Aegon and were rewarded with both the castle and the position of overlords of the Reach. Illegitimate children born in the Reach are given the surname Flowers.{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Catelyn VI, p. 369}}

During the reign of [[House Baratheon]] as the ruler of Westeros, the Reach is the second wealthiest region in the Seven Kingdom, behind only the mine-rich Westerlands. During the War of the Five Kings, in a significant political maneuver during the civil war, House Tyrell provides the starving populace of King's Landing with hundreds of carts of food, ensuring the positive image of House Tyrell foremost, and the alliance for the Iron Throne with House Baratheon as secondary. However, the Tyrells were responsible for the starvation in the first place, as part of their plan to help the [[pretender]] Renly Baratheon contend for the Iron Throne.

====Oldtown====
[[File:PHAROS2013-3000x2250.jpg|thumb|The Hightower of Oldtown bears similarities to the [[Lighthouse of Alexandria]] (3D reconstruction pictured)]]
Oldtown is one of the largest cities in Westeros and is by far the oldest, built by the First Men before the Andal Invasion. It survived the invasion by welcoming the Andals rather than resisting them. The city is located in the southwestern part of Westeros, at the mouth of the River Honeywine, where it opens onto Whispering Sound and the Sunset Sea beyond.

Oldtown is primarily known as the location of the Citadel, home of the order of Maesters who serve as councillors, doctors, scientists, and postmasters for the Seven Kingdoms. The city's Starry Sept was the seat of the Faith of the Seven until the construction of the Great Sept of Baelor in King's Landing. Aegon the Conqueror's reign is dated from his entrance into the city of Oldtown and his acknowledgment as king by the High Septon.

Oldtown is the second most important port in the Seven Kingdoms after King's Landing: trading ships from the Summer Islands, the Free Cities, the eastern cities, and the rest of Westeros constantly crowd into its harbors. The city itself is described as stunningly beautiful with a warm climate. Many rivers and canals crisscross its cobbled streets, and breathtaking stone mansions are common. The city lacks the squalor of King's Landing, which usurped its position as the preeminent city of Westeros.

The largest structure in the city, and the tallest structure in Westeros, is the Hightower, a massive [[ziggurat|stepped lighthouse]] which extends some {{convert|800|ft}} into the sky and is topped by a huge beacon which can be seen for many miles out to sea. Oldtown is ruled from the Hightower by House Hightower. Originally kings in their own right, they later swore fealty to the Gardeners of Highgarden, and became vassals of the Tyrells after the Conquest. The Hightowers are known for their loyalty and stalwartness. The current ruler of the city is Lord Leyton Hightower.

Oldtown remained aloof from the [[War of the Five Kings]], but late in the war the Ironborn under King Euron Greyjoy launched a massive raid along the coast, conquering the Shield Islands and parts of the Arbor before trying to blockade the mouth of the Honeywine. An attempt to attack the city harbor was repulsed by the city's defenders. Oldtown remains under threat from the Ironborn.

===The Stormlands===
The Stormlands are the large [[Cape (geography)|cape]] between the Blackwater Bay and the Sea of Dorne and the cape's associated western [[hinterland]]s, named for the [[severe weather]]s in the coastal areas. The region is bordered in the east by the Narrow Sea, especially a large [[semi-enclosed bay]] known as the Shipbreaker Bay behind the island of Tarth; from King's Landing and the Crownlands in the north by a large [[forest]] known as the Kingswood; from the Reach in the west by the headwaters of the Mander River; and Dorne in the south by the expansive Red Mountains. The southwestern Stormlands are a [[march (territory)|borderland]] area historically contested among the Stormlands, the Reach and Dorne, known as the Dornish Marches.<ref group=S name=westeros.orgStormlands/>

Before Aegon's conquest, the Stormlands were ruled by the Storm Kings of House Durrandon founded by the legendary Durran Godsgrief. When Aegon the Conqueror invaded Westeros, his bastard half-brother Orys Baratheon slew the last Storm King in a [[duel]] and married the latter's daughter to establish [[House Baratheon]], which has ruled the Stormlands as [[lord paramount]] afterwards. Highborn [[illegitimate children]] born in the Stormlands are given the surname Storm.{{sfn|''A Clash of Kings''|loc=Davos I, p. 161}}

====Storm's End====
Storm's End is the seat of House Baratheon and, before them, the ancestral seat of the Storm Kings extending back many thousands of years. According to legend, the first Storm King in the age of the First Men was Durran, who married Elenei, the daughter of the sea god and the goddess of the wind. In a rage her parents sent vast storms to shatter his keep and kill his wedding guests and family; whereupon Durran declared war against the gods and raised several castles over Shipbreaker Bay, each larger and more formidable than the last. Finally, the seventh castle stayed in place and resisted the storms. Some believe the Children of the Forest took a hand in its construction; others suggest that Brandon Stark, the builder of the Wall, advised Durran on its construction. The truth of the matter is unknown.

Storm's End has never fallen to either siege or storm. Its outer defenses consist of a huge [[Curtain wall (fortification)|curtain wall]], {{convert|100|ft|m}} tall and {{convert|40|ft}} thick on its thinnest side, nearly {{convert|80|ft}} thick on its seaward side. The wall consists of a double course of stones with an inner core of sand and rubble. The wall is smooth and curving, the stones so well placed that the wind cannot enter. On the seaward side, there is a {{convert|150|ft|m|adj=on}} drop below the wall into the sea.

The castle itself consists of one huge drum tower crowned with formidable battlements, and so large that it can comfortably contain stables, [[barracks]], [[armory (military)|armory]] and lord's chambers in the same structure. Although never taken in battle, Storm's End has endured several sieges and battles in recent history. The last Storm King, Argilac the Arrogant, abandoned his impressive defenses to meet the Targaryen commander, Orys Baratheon, in open battle during Aegon Targaryen's War of Conquest, and lost. This led to Orys Baratheon marrying Argilac's daughter and becoming Lord of Storm's End.

During the War of the Usurper, Storm's End was besieged for a year by the host of Lord Mace Tyrell, who commanded the landward forces, while Paxter Redwyne's fleet of the Arbor kept the castle cut off by sea. [[Stannis Baratheon]], commanding the defense, refused to yield and his men were reduced to eating rats. A smuggler named Davos ran the blockade to resupply the castle and Stannis rewarded him by knighting him and giving him lands, thus founding House Seaworth, but he also cut off the fingertips of his left hand as punishment for all his previous smuggling. After the war, Stannis was furious when his brother Robert, now king, gave the castle to their younger brother Renly and placed Stannis in command of Dragonstone. This led to many years of bitterness on Stannis' part.

During the War of the Five Kings, Storm's End supported Renly when he attempted to usurp the crown, and was besieged by Stannis. When the castellan, Cortnay Penrose, refused to yield even after Renly's death, he was killed by Stannis' ally, the priestess Melisandre, and the castle surrendered. Later, the castle was besieged by a strong army under Mace Tyrell, but he abandoned the siege after a few weeks to return to King's Landing after the arrest of his daughter Margaery by the High Septon. As of ''[[A Dance with Dragons]]'', the castle remains in the hands of Stannis Baratheon.

At the end of ''A Dance with Dragons'' an army lands in the Stormlands led by Jon Connington and a young man claiming to be Aegon Targaryen, the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell and heir to the Iron Throne. To attract support, Aegon plans to conquer Storm's End and raise the banner of House Targaryen above the battlements.

In the TV adaptation, scenes in the Stormlands were filmed in [[Larrybane]], Northern Ireland. The scene where Stannis' red priestess Melisandre gave birth to a shadow creature was filmed in the [[Cushendun Caves]], also in Northern Ireland.<ref group=S name=Skyscanner/>

===The Crownlands===
The Crownlands are the lands in Westeros surrounding King's Landing, ruled directly by the crown of the Iron Throne. The Targaryen kings consolidated this as one of the nine regions of Westeros, after their conquest of the Seven Kingdoms, from sparsely populated pieces of the Riverlands and Stormlands. The Crownlands form the entire coastline of Blackwater Bay, and include the original Targaryen homeland on the island of Dragonstone, at the Narrow Sea entrance to Blackwater Bay. Besides King's Landing, which is the largest city in Westeros, the Crownlands include many towns and castles. The illegitimate children born in the Crownlands are given the surname Waters.

====Dragonstone====
{{multiple image |footer=[[Downhill Strand]], [[County Londonderry]] was used to represent a beach of the island of Dragonstone (left) and [[Gaztelugatxe]] in the [[Basque Country (autonomous community)|Basque Country]], Spain (right) stood in for Dragonstone in Season 7. |image1=Downhill Strand, Derry - Londonderry - geograph.org.uk - 222956.jpg |image2=Gaztelugatxe_4199995260.jpg |width1=180 |width2=200 }}
Dragonstone was once the westernmost outpost of the ancient Freehold of [[Valyria]]. A century before the Doom, the Targaryen family moved to Dragonstone. When the Doom came upon Valyria, House Targaryen survived along with the last of the Valyrian dragons. Another century later, Aegon Targaryen and his sisters Rhaenys and Visenya launched a massive campaign of conquest from the island and eventually conquered all of Westeros except for Dorne, and North of the Wall. Aegon's progeny reigned as kings of the Seven Kingdoms for centuries, Dragonstone being the seat of the heir apparent to the Iron Throne.

Dragonstone is a massive, forbidding fortress, taking up a large portion of the island of the same name. The castle is unique in that the builders and sorcerers of Valyria carved its towers and keeps into the shapes of dragons and made ferocious [[gargoyle]]s to cover its walls using both magic and masonry. The castle's lower levels are warmed by residual volcanic activity deep below the keep. There is a small port and town outside of the castle. Additionally, in a cave at the beachfront of the castle, huge deposits of Dragonglass can be found.

During the War of the Usurper, before the sack of King's Landing, the Targaryen Queen Rhaella, who was pregnant, and her son Viserys were sent to Dragonstone along with part of the Targaryen fleet and a garrison of loyal soldiers. But after King's Landing fell, Robert Baratheon dispatched his brother Stannis to take the island stronghold. After a storm destroyed the royalist fleet, the Targaryen garrison tried to betray Viserys and his newborn sister, Daenerys, to Stannis (the queen had died in childbirth). But Targaryen loyalists led by Ser Willem Darry took the children away. Stannis conquered Dragonstone easily, and King Robert granted him ownership of the castle. Stannis felt slighted because his younger brother Renly then inherited Storm's End, the ancient seat of House Baratheon. Ser Axell Florent, one of the uncles of Stannis' wife Selyse Florent, acted as castellan.

Upon Robert's death, Stannis declared himself king of the Seven Kingdoms and condemned the queen's children as bastards born of [[incest]], as he had discovered with Jon Arryn. Dragonstone became his main seat. He returned there after the disastrous Battle of the Blackwater. His councilor, the red priestess Melisandre of Asshai, tried to convince him to let her raise the "stone dragon" of the castle through blood magic, but Lord Davos Seaworth convinced Stannis to go north to the Wall to help the Night's Watch instead. After Stannis abandoned Dragonstone, leaving the Bastard of Nightsong Rolland Storm as castellan, Queen Regent Cersei Lannister dispatched a fleet to barricade it. However, Ser Loras Tyrell, impatient to free the fleet to protect his home castle of Highgarden, attacked Dragonstone directly. He took the castle but lost a thousand men and was himself reportedly gravely wounded. As of ''A Dance with Dragons'', Dragonstone is now controlled by troops loyal to House Tyrell, and theoretically, once again under the control of the Iron Throne.

One scene set at Dragonstone, in which Stannis burns wooden sculptures of the Seven gods, was filmed at the beach of [[Downhill Strand]].<ref group=S name=utv_beach/> In [[Game of Thrones (season 7)|Season 7]] of the show, filming for Dragonstone took place at several locations in the [[Basque Country (autonomous community)|Basque region]] of Spain: the islet of [[Gaztelugatxe]] in [[Bermeo]], Itzurun Beach in [[Zumaia]], and Muriola Beach in [[Barrika]].<ref group=S name=TelegraphFilmingLocations/>

====King's Landing====
{{multiple image|perrow = 1 |total_width=250
| image1 = Mdina 3 (6947399873).jpg |width1=5156|height1=2980
| image2 = Old City of Dubrovnik - Croatia - 8 June 2013.jpg |width2=6000|height2=4000
| footer = [[Mdina]] in Malta (top) and [[Dubrovnik]] in Croatia (bottom) stood in for King's Landing in the TV adaptation}}

King's Landing is the royal capital of Westeros and the Seven Kingdoms. King's Landing has an estimated population of half a million people, making it the most populous city in Westeros.{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Tyrion V, p. 528}} It is situated on the Blackwater river on the spot where Aegon the Conqueror landed in Westeros to begin his conquest. The main city is surrounded by a wall, which is manned by the City Watch of King's Landing, which is nicknamed the gold cloaks, after the cloaks they wear. Within the walls, the city's natural landscape is dominated by three hills, named after Aegon and his two sister-wives Rhaenys and Visenya. Poorer smallfolk (commoners) build shanty settlements outside the city. King's Landing is described as extremely populous but unsightly and dirty. The stench of the city's waste can be smelled far beyond its walls and there is a vast divide between the city's poor and the wealthy elite.

The royal castle, called the Red Keep, sits on Aegon's Hill. It is the seat of the [[royal court]]. The Keep holds the Iron Throne. Aegon commissioned the throne's construction from the swords of his defeated enemies. According to legend, he kept the blades sharp because he believed that no ruler should ever sit comfortably. Centuries later, kings still cut themselves on the throne. It is a common belief that one who cuts himself on the throne has been "rejected" by the throne and is therefore not fit to rule.

The city also holds the Great Sept of Baelor, where the Most Devout convene with the High Septon. It is the holiest sept of the Seven. Since the city was built in a rush, most of it is made of slums called Flea Bottom, where residents are so poor they regularly subsist on [[Perpetual stew|"bowls of brown"]], a mystery stew that can include the meat of puppies and murder victims. King's Landing has a temperate, mediterranean climate with long, warm, sunny summers and mild winters although snow does occasionally occur.

Martin compared King's Landing to medieval [[Paris]] or [[London]].<ref group=S name=denverpost_grrm/> It was inspired by the view of [[Staten Island]] from his childhood home in [[Bayonne, New Jersey|Bayonne]], New Jersey.<ref group=S name=GRRMInterviewABCNews/>

The first season of the TV adaptation used Malta's former capital [[Mdina]] to represent King's Landing.<ref group=S name=go_hbofilmed/> "Like King's Landing, Mdina is a walled medieval city built upon a hill, but unlike King's Landing, Mdina is an inland city{{snd}} so the production was limited to interior shots such as side streets and the [[Mdina Gate|town gate]], which can be seen when Ned Stark arrives. Nearby [[Fort Manoel]] doubled as the great Sept of Baelor,"<ref group=S name=go_hbofilmed/> which can be seen when Ned Stark is executed. Various other locations around Malta represent the Red Keep, "including the real-life residence of the president of Malta, [[San Anton Palace]]. The gates of [[Fort Ricasoli]] doubled as the Red Keep's gates; [[Fort St. Angelo]] was used for the scenes of Arya Stark chasing cats; and St. Dominic monastery stood in for the scene where Ned Stark confronts Cersei Lannister in the godswood."<ref group=S name=go_hbofilmed/>

"In season two, filming for King's Landing and the Red Keep shifted from Malta to the historic parts of [[Dubrovnik]] and the [[Walls of Dubrovnik|Minčeta]], Bokar, and Lovrijenac fortresses in [[Croatia]], which allowed for more exterior shots of an authentic walled medieval city."<ref group=S name=go_hbofilmed/> Parts of Season three were filmed there, too, as well as in nearby [[Trsteno]].<ref group=S name=dubrovniktimes_trsteno/> "Known as ''the Pearl of the Adriatic'', the city proved to share many characteristics with the fictional capital: it had a well-preserved medieval look, with high walls and the sea at its side. According to David Benioff, executive producer of the show, "King's Landing might be the single most important location in the entire show, and it has to look right",<ref group=S name=go_hbofilmed/> and "The minute we started walking around the city walls we knew that was it. You read the descriptions in the book and you come to Dubrovnik and that's what the actual city is. It has the sparkling sea, sun and beautiful architecture."<ref group=S name=makinggot_prodcroatia/> Co-Executive Producer D.B. Weiss added "To find a full-on, immaculately preserved medieval walled city that actually looks uncannily like King's Landing where the bulk of our show is set, that was in and of itself such an amazing find".<ref group=S name=go_hbofilmed/> The Tourney of the Hand in season 1 was filmed in [[Shane's Castle]], Northern Ireland.<ref group=S name=mogot_tourney/>

The Red Keep interior are filmed at Belfast's studio [[The Paint Hall]].<ref group=S name=mogot_bending/> Set designer Gemma Jackson said, "When I was thinking about King's Landing, the whole red aspect of it, that immediately made me think of [[Rajasthan]]. The floor [at King's Landing] was from the Pantheon in Rome."<ref group=S name=dailybeast_secrets/> Martin said that "Our throne room is a spectacular throne room – we actually redressed a throne room built for [another] film. And again, it occupied a quarter of the Paint Hall, so it's very big, but in my mind [in the books], it's Westminster Abbey, it's St. Paul's Cathedral."<ref group=S name=aoltv_qa />

===Dorne===
[[File:Castillo de Zafra, Campillo de Dueñas, Guadalajara, España, 2017-01-04, DD 41-46 PAN.jpg|thumb|The [[Castle of Zafra (Guadalajara)|Castle of Zafra]] in Guadalajara, Spain, which portrayed the Tower of Joy in Dorne in ''Game of Thrones'']]
Dorne is the southernmost and least populated land of Westeros.{{sfn|''A Feast for Crows''|loc=The Princess in the Tower, p. 855}} The capital, Sunspear, is the seat of the ruling House Martell. As of the first five books, Doran Nymeros Martell is the Prince of Dorne and Lord of Sunspear. Doran's sister, Princess Elia, was married in a political alliance to Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, the Prince of Dragonstone and heir to the Iron Throne. They had two children, a daughter, Rhaenys, and a son, Aegon. During the Sack of King's Landing at the end of Robert's Rebellion, Princess Elia was raped and murdered by Gregor Clegane, a House Lannister bannerman (vassal). Her children were also killed in front of her. Prince Doran and his wife, Princess Mellaria, have three children, Arianne, Quentyn and Trystane. During the War of the Five Kings, [[Tyrion Lannister]], as Hand of the King, turns the historical enmity of House Martell and Lannister into an alliance by sending King Joffrey's middle sibling and sister, Myrcella Baratheon, as the betrothed future bride to Trystane, the youngest child of Prince Doran, who is about her own age. The eldest child of Prince Doran, Arianne, is heir to House Martell, Sunspear and the rule of Dorne. The wealth of Dorne comes from their famous Sand Steeds, purebred horses of endurance, speed, and grace, and from spices, wines, fishing, fabrics, and textiles.

Dorne is bordered by the Sea of Dorne to the north, the islands known as the Stepstones to the east, and stretches from the high mountains of the Dornish marches, the Red Mountains, separating Dorne from the remainder of the Seven Kingdoms by land. The two major passes through the Red Mountains that connect Dorne with the rest of the continent are the Stone Way Pass and the Prince's Pass. The Prince's Pass leads to the Reach, while the Stone Way exits the mountains near Summerhall. The southern coast of the continent is bordered by the Summer Sea. Described as tropical in climate by George R. R. Martin,<ref group=S name=denverpost_grrm/> Dorne has the highest temperatures of any kingdom in Westeros, and is arid, with a rocky, mountainous, terrain that includes the only desert on the continent. Its rivers provide some fertile lands and during a long summer there is enough rain and other supplies of water to keep Dorne habitable. Inland water is almost as valuable as gold, and wells are jealously guarded. Notable locations of Dorne are Starfall, the seat of House Dayne, and Yronwood, the seat of House Yronwood, the most powerful of the Martell bannermen. Planky Town is a trade port town at the mouth of the River Greenblood.

Dornishmen have a reputation for hot-bloodedness. They differ both culturally and ethnically from other Westerosi due to the historical mass immigration of Rhoynish people. They have adopted many Rhoynish customs as well, including [[equal primogeniture]]. Dorne was the only kingdom in Westeros to successfully resist Aegon's conquest, even killing one of his dragons during the war. It was conquered by Daeron I over a century after the Targaryen invasion, but rose against him leading to his death. Finally under Daeron's cousin Daeron II they joined through marriage. This accomplishment has allowed Dorne to retain a measure of independence. Lords of the ruling [[House Martell]] still style themselves "Prince" and "Princess" in the Rhoynish fashion. Unlike most of the rest of Westeros, illegitimate children born in Dorne are treated nearly the same as legal offspring<ref>{{Cite web |title=A Song of Ice and Fire - House Martell |url=https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/ASongOfIceAndFireHouseMartell |access-date=2024-08-31 |website=TV Tropes}}</ref> and given the surname Sand,{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Tyrion V, pp. 520–521}} as with Westerosi customs to give bastards a surname showing their origins.{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Catelyn VI, p. 369}}

According to ''A Storm of Swords'', "There were three sorts of Dornishmen [...]. There were the salty Dornishmen who lived along the coasts, the sandy Dornishmen of the deserts and long river valleys, and the stony Dornishmen who made their fastnesses in the passes and heights of the Red Mountains. The salty Dornishmen had the most Rhoynish blood, the stony Dornishmen the least. All three sorts seemed well represented in Doran’s retinue. The salty Dornishmen were lithe and dark, with smooth olive skin and long black hair streaming in the wind. The sandy Dornishmen were even darker, their faces burned brown by the hot Dornish sun. They wound long bright scarfs around their helms to ward off sunstroke. The stony Dornishmen were biggest and fairest, sons of the Andals and the First Men, brownhaired or blond, with faces that freckled or burned in the sun instead of browning."{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Tyrion V, pp. 520–521}}

In the show, Dornish scenes were filmed in the [[Alcázar of Seville]], [[Seville, Spain]].