Many loyal viewers are still recovering from the final season of “Game of Thrones” after the finale in 2019. HBO recently premiered “House of the Dragon,” a new series based on the 2018 book “Fire & Blood” by George R.R. Martin.
The prequel is 200 years before the original show and 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen.
“Game of Thrones” introduced us to the original seven kingdoms, from the Iron Islands to Dorne and Winterfell in the North and all its houses. But in this series, the journey focuses on the end of the House Targaryen. And, the events that lead to the Targaryen war of succession, or Dance of the Dragons.
To commemorate this new series, we imagined the “Game of Thrones” main locations as U.S. cities — based on geography and climate. Let’s take a road trip around the country to get to know the cities that most closely resemble them.
Asheville, NC, is Harrenhal (The Riverlands)
While dragon fire burned Harrenhal, the largest castle in the Seven Kingdoms, during Aegon I Targaryen’s conquest, it was once a beautiful estate reminiscent of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC.
The Harrenhal estate makes Winterfell look tiny. The castle grounds are three times bigger. Harrenhal’s lands were incredibly fertile in its heyday, and its stables held more than 1,000 horses.
The Biltmore Estate is the largest privately owned house in the U.S., with many stables, a conservatory and multiple buildings. The Gilded Age-style mansion was initially built for George Washington Vanderbilt II in the late 17th century, and now it functions as a museum.
Originally built by Harren the Black as a monument to himself, the structure took 40 years to construct. While the Biltmore estate shines against the green forests of Asheville, the Harrenhal remains look charred due to the dragon attack. Harrenhal has a key role in “Game of Thrones” and its prequel, “House of the Dragon.”
Palm Springs, CA, is Dorne
The high palms, warm weather and beautiful desert landscapes in Dorne are eerily similar to the vibes in California’s Palm Springs. The residents of Dorne know how to enjoy the outdoors in their carefully landscaped gardens in a similar way as influencers enjoy the sights at the Ace Hotel. And, California has no shortage of wineries, mirroring the Dornish, who also produce their own wine.
While Dorne boasts progressive ideals about women and sexuality, the Sand Snakes were not as welcoming to Myrcella Baratheon, daughter of Cersei. The beautiful climate surely makes the residents of Dorne forget that winter is coming.
Helena, MT, is Vale
The Vale of Arryn, where the house of Arryn and the Starks bent the knee for Aegon upon his arrival, resembles the landscapes of Helena.
The Continental Divide surrounds the Montana capital and is full of rivers, lakes and fertile soil that was once part of the Gold Rush. The harsh winters come every year at both locations and blanket the city with snow.
The state of Texas is the Reach
The Reach is one of the largest areas in the seven kingdoms, only behind the North. While this list is about “Game of Thrones” cities, we couldn’t pick just one because the state of Texas as a whole represents the vastness of the Reach.
As one of the main agricultural producers in the Song of Ice and Fire series, the Reach produces grain, fruit, wine and livestock on its fertile ground — similar to its Southwest counterpart.
Texas is only No. 2 behind California as the biggest agricultural producer in the U.S. with the same products, plus cotton, corn, peanuts and others. House Gardner died in the Targaryen invasion, but the area is led by the Tyrells in “Game of Thrones.”
Portland, OR, is the Stormlands
The fog is a large component of the scenes in “Game of Thrones” once we arrive in the Stormlands. Portland mirrors the fog and greenery that we see in the Stormlands in many ways.
The mountains, the cloudy skies and overall winter feeling are in both places. The Stormlands are famous for their stone shores with smaller islands in the distance.
The last Storm King died following Aegon’s arrival and was later led by House Baratheon.
Savannah, GA, is the Rock
The Lannisters controlled the Kingdom of the Rock, most specifically Casterly Rock, for thousands of years before the Unsullied came to its doors. The Casterly Rock castle is famous for its gold mine, located under the castle. It’s where the Lannister gained their fortune.
With great defenses and one of the most well-defended castles, Savannah comes to mind as its many forts protected the city from invaders, as well as the great wealth that grew within the city center.
Despite the fact that there are no castles or rock formations near the Southern city, Savannah’s pirate and urban legends about spirits mirror in a lot of ways Casterly Rock’s catacombs and dungeons. Both areas carry a lot of history within their city centers.
Old Fort Jackson, in particular, shows large cannon holes left from past battles, as Casterly Rock carries similar scars from past battles against the Lannisters.
Detroit, MI, is Winterfell
Michigan’s motor city has been strong through extreme economic and social changes, plus an annual bitter winter. The city’s strong steel and industry plant background makes for a great connection with Winterfell, the beacon of the North. The industrial look of the city, decaying buildings and population trends within the city center mirrors the North’s Winterfell in many ways.
Both cities have undergone significant challenges, but continue to stand strong and grow despite them. Detroit is also close to Canada, the land north of the Wall in this case.
Fly off to “House of the Dragon”
The return of dragons to Sunday night television with the prequel “House of the Dragon” is a reason to celebrate. The 10 episodes of the first season will explore the civil war between members of the Targaryen family and while you wait for each one to premiere, picture those “Game of Thrones” settings as the U.S. cities shown above.
