Meteora, the breathtaking inspiration behind ‘Game of Thrones Eyrie’

‘Game of Thrones’ named the world’s most popular show had its final episode screened on May 19th, leaving millions of viewers worldwide upset that their favourite fantasy drama series had come to an end.

The unforgettable aerial kingdom from the hit HBO TV series that many have grown to love was filmed throughout the globe and Greece’s stunning and spiritual destination of Meteora was, in fact, the real-life inspiration behind ‘Game of Thrones Eyrie’.

As many of you may recall, Tyrion of ‘Game of Thrones’ was hanging at the edge of the cliff, at the highest point of Castle Vale. In the background, you can see the overwhelming rocks of Meteora.

The cast and crew didn’t actually shoot on location in Meteora, but a special crew unit did arrive in Greece to shoot parts of the magnificent Meteora Monasteries, which was then used as a backdrop for the Eyrie castle in the sky, the castle above the clouds where Tyrion had his cell in the sky.

Meteora was digitally mastered into the series because it is a very protected environment and the series was not given permission to officially shoot there.

Die-hard ‘Game of Thrones’ fans will remember that the Eyrie is the ancestral seat of House Arryn, Lords of the Vale and Wardens of the East.

The Eyrie was first shown in season 1; when Catelyn Tully abducts Tyrion and takes him to the Eyrie’s sky cells. The Vale of Arryn and the Eyrie returned to Game of Thrones in season 4, when Petyr Baelish throws Lysa Arryn from the Moon Door, a hatch built into the floor of the main chamber which open to the valley below.

The Eyrie is located in the Vale of Arryn, in the eastern part of Westeros, high up on a slender mountain. It can only be reached through a narrow path and causeway lined by battlements and guarded by archers.

A UNESCO World Heritage site, Meteora is home to many monasteries balancing on top of cliffs, and its sheer magic is why it served as the real inspiration for the Eyrie in ‘Game of Thrones.’

Meteora may not have been known to the world, like Mykonos, Santorini, and Athens, however, Meteora’s role in “‘Game of Thrones as “the Eyrie” has definitely put this stunning destination on the world map!