Vikings: Valhalla Filming Locations
If you’re a fan of the History channel’s hit series Vikings, you are probably at the edge of your seat while waiting for the sequel – Vikings: Valhalla.
The new series set 100 years after the events of the first one, will also be about brave Viking heroes and heroines.
So to make your wait less anxious, we’ve visited the filming locations in Ireland, mostly Wicklow mountains where the filming of the first two seasons took place.
Actually, all of the locations you’ll read about below are also featured in Vikings. We can’t wait to see how they will look in the new series!
Wicklow Mountains (Wicklow County, Ireland)
Wicklow County is one of Ireland’s most gorgeous and picturesque places. So it’s no wonder it’s a popular filming location.
The Vikings crew is not the only film crew to use Wicklow mountains as a backdrop for beautiful scenography. For years, Wicklow County has been used as a filming location (no wonder the Ashford studios are located there).
Braveheart, one of the most popular movies of the 90s was also filmed there along with My Left Foot, the romance movie P.S. I Love You starring Gerard Butler and Hillary Swank, and the historical series The Tudors.
200 acres of Wicklow Mountains was designated as a protected area back in 1991 and it’s also Ireland’s largest national park.
The national park is located just an hour’s drive by car and bus from Ireland’s capital, Dublin. This makes it a perfect location for a day trip.
The entrance is free so you can see for yourself most of the filming locations.
Besides the filming locations, there are lots of other things to see, namely, the ruins of St. Kieran’s church located in Glendalough valley. The valley is also home to the magnificent Glendalough lakes which consist of the Upper and Lower lake.
Read on and check out a selection of locations in Wicklow county that are backdrops for the original series and will probably also feature in Vikings: Valhalla.
Blessington Lakes
The official name of this area is Poulaphouca Reservoir. As its name implies it’s actually a man-made reservoir and it serves as a source of water supply for Dublin.
There’s a hiking and biking trail (Blessington Greenway) that encircles part of the lake, and plans are to complete the trail so it totally encircles the lake. The trail will take you through historic villages such as Ballyknockan, Lacken, and Valleymount.
The lakes served as a backdrop for scenes featuring the sailing of Viking ships in the first series.
Brittas Bay
Brittas Bay (Cuan an Bhriotáis) is a bay that stretches for 5 kilometers. It consists of sandy dunes so it is very popular with Dubliners in summer months. Because of its uniqueness, it’s a proposed Special Area of Conservation (SAC).
This is also the place where scenes of Viking sailing are set. Film buffs will also recognize Brittas bay as one of the filming locations for the 2002’s Count of Monte Cristo movie.
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Lough Dan
The Wicklow Mountains are packed with natural lakes. The smaller ones are located at higher elevations, while the bigger ones are nestled on lower altitudes.
Lough Dan is one of those lakes. In Vikings, it serves as a backdrop for scenes set at sea, along with Blessington lakes and Lough Tay.
The lake is located beneath Knocknacloghogue and Kanturk Mountains. Most of the area surrounding the lake is privately owned. But don’t be sad because some parts of the lake are open to visitors to the national park.
You can get here by car from Dublin in an hour. Parking is available at Sally Gap.
Lovers of long hikes can take the 10 km long Lough Dan – Kanturk trail which starts at the eastern side of the lake. The trail is of moderate difficulty, mostly because of muddy parts along the way. Also, there are no facilities so you should definitely bring water and some snacks.
Fishing is prohibited, but visitors can take a swim in the sunnier summer months.
Lough Tay (Guinness lake)
Loch Té, which in Irish means “tea lake” lies between Luggala and Djouce mountain making it a show-stopping sight. Unfortunately, the lake is privately owned so visitors can’t access its shores. However, you can check out the amazing view on one of the viewpoints on surrounding mountains.
It is owned by the legendary Guinness family so it’s also known as Guinness lake. Some say that the Guinnesses put sand on the lake’s shore to make it look like a pint of Guinness beer.
Fans of the series will recognize the lake’s shore as Kattegatt, home of Ragnar Lothbrok, the original show’s protagonist.
Powerscourt Waterfall & Estate
The 400 foot high Powerscourt Waterfall is the place where Vikings protagonist Ragnar first sees his future wife Aslaug. Actually, it’s part of a 43 acres big estate named after the waterfall established in the 13th century. Just a 35-minute drive from Dublin, it’s a great place to unwind and also to enjoy the estate’s luscious garden – ranked 3rd best in the world.
The ticket price for the waterfall costs 6,50 € and for the garden is 8,50 € (adults).
Ashford Studios
Some scenes just can’t be done in open locations, but in those cases, there’s the famous Ashford Studios, also located in Wicklow county. The studios were one of the filming locations for the six seasons of the flagship series Vikings. Obviously, this location is used for scenes in Vikings: Valhalla which couldn’t be filmed in other areas of Wicklow County.
Can you visit Ashford studios?
Back in 2013, when the first season of Vikings took the world by storm, tours at filming locations in Ashford studios were possible. But will the fans have the opportunity to see the locations again? We’ll just have to wait and see.
However, judging by the hype around the Vikings sequel, we believe the tourist agencies will definitely want to cash in on this opportunity again.
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