photo credit: hbo
Game of Thrones will finally return on Crave this April 14 for a (literally) epic last season and a verdict about who will ultimately get to sit on the the Iron Throne. That is, unless the White Walkers and their newly wight’d dragon bring true winter to all of Westeros. Collar tug.
We love Game of Thrones for the show’s royal scheming, heroic battles, and stunning vistas — many of which remind us of home here in Canada — so we’ve compiled a list of our favourite GoT-esque spots from across the country for fans of both fantasy and IRL adventure.
Nothing says ‘Winter is coming’ (or already here) like a glorious ice formation worthy of the White Walker’s Night King. Ringing the shores of Lake Superior, these naturally forming works of frozen H2O art can get up to six metres tall without the help of any supporting structures. The best time to see them? Now, says the New York Times, which included the destination on their ‘52 Places To Go In 2019’ list — thanks to global warming, the ice caves may not be around for much longer.
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Mist descending from the nearly 3,000-metre-tall Mount Robson turns the park into The Iron Islands on the west coast of Westeros, the territory of House Greyjoy and their brave, seafaring kin. The place is home to a wide range of wildlife (think caribou, grizzly bears, and whitetail deer) but it’s the tough and no-nonsense mountain goats that remind us most of the ironborn. To test your own seaworthiness, try white-water rafting on the Fraser River. This Canada & The Rockies tour will take you there — start DIY’ing your Salt Throne now.
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This one’s for all the Wildlings out there. The former Hudson’s Bay Company fur trading post is right up the Free Folk’s alley. The remote location, surrounded in winter by snow and ice, is a place that has truly feels truly wild year-round. The Night’s Watch has no foothold here — but polar bears do. To travel across the tundra, check out organized tours like Nat Hab’s Classic Polar Bear Tour where you’ll explore Canada’s Great White North aboard Polar Rovers and husky-pulled dogsleds. Be prepared to keep an eye open late into the evening incase of White Walkers. Kidding. It’s the spectacular Northern Lights you’ll want to look out for.
photo credit: bannikin travel
Fun fact: the seemingly fearless Dothraki are actually terrified of salt water. Which means they’d love the landlocked, desert-like landscape of Canada’s spectacular Badlands. Amidst the expansive 73-square-kilometre range of sandstone hoodoos in Dinosaur Provincial Park (just a 2.5-hour drive from Calgary), the horde would have plenty of room to ride their horses and debate which came first, the dinosaur or the dragon? Decide for yourself on your own expedition to Canada’s wild west.
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For travellers who prefer to live their wild life in an urban setting, check out this marvel of architectural design on the University of British Columbia’s campus in Vancouver. Fit for a Khaleesi, the museum’s lewk reminds us of a mini version of Dragonstone. The organization’s exhibitions focus on giving a platform to works by First Nation band governments of the Pacific Northwest and also display cultural artifacts from across the globe — treasures worthy of whoever sits on the Iron Throne.
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