Grey stone turreted mansion on a wooded hill above Dumbarton, Clyde estuary beyond, overcast morning.

Where Was Cloud Atlas Filmed?

The 2012 epic was shot mainly in Germany and Scotland, with Mallorca standing in for the Pacific. Here is every filming location and how to visit it.

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The Short Answer

Cloud Atlas was mainly filmed at Studio Babelsberg in Potsdam, Germany, with extensive location shooting in Scotland and Mallorca, Spain. Glasgow doubled for San Francisco and London, Edinburgh stood in for 1936 Cambridge, and Mallorca's coast played the 1849 Pacific Islands. Additional scenes were shot in Berlin and Düsseldorf.

The Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer shot Cloud Atlas in 2012 with an unusual setup: parallel shooting by three directors using two crews, all based at Studio Babelsberg in Potsdam, Germany. The production then fanned out across Scotland, Germany and Spain to build its six interlocking storylines.

The result is a film geography puzzle. Glasgow's grid system and hilly streets stood in for 1973 San Francisco, Mallorca's Serra de Tramuntana mountains became the Pacific 'Big Island', and a single Scottish country house played both a 1936 manor and a 2012 care home. Most of these places can be visited today.

Every Location At A Glance

LocationWhereWhat was filmedAccess
Overtoun HouseDumbarton, United KingdomVyvyan Ayrs' manor (1936) and Aurora House (2012)Ticketed
Sa Calobra beachPort de Sa Calobra, SpainMr Ewing meeting Dr Goose on the beach (1849 Pacific Islands)Free to see
Clackmannanshire BridgeFalkirk, United KingdomSwannekkee Bridge in San Francisco (1973)Free to see
Scott MonumentEdinburgh, United KingdomFrobisher avoiding Sixsmith on the monument (1936)Ticketed
City ChambersEdinburgh, United KingdomCambridge university scenes (1936)Outside only
Douglas StreetGlasgow, United KingdomSan Francisco car crash and streets (1973)Free to see
Krematorium BaumschulenwegBerlin, GermanySonmi's execution interiors (2144)Private property
DreischeibenhausDüsseldorf, GermanyRey and Sixsmith outside building after elevator (1973)Outside only
University of GlasgowGlasgow, United KingdomCambridge scenes and yard (1936)Free to see
Port de SóllerPort de Sóller, SpainShip mooring and bay scenes (1849)Free to see

Filming Locations Map

10 locations. The map loads when it scrolls into view.

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Location By Location

Overtoun House, Dumbarton
Location 01

Overtoun House

West Dunbartonshire, Dumbarton, United Kingdom Ticketed

Filmed here: Vyvyan Ayrs' manor (1936) and Aurora House (2012)

This historic house near Dumbarton pulled double duty: it served as Vyvyan Ayrs' 1936 manor and, with different dressing, as Aurora House in the 2012 storyline. Visitors today find a historic house with gardens, a Christian centre and a tearoom, and access is ticketed. Opening hours vary, so check current information before travelling. It sits in West Dunbartonshire, an easy trip from Glasgow.

Sa Calobra beach, Port de Sa Calobra
Location 02

Sa Calobra beach

Mallorca, Port de Sa Calobra, Spain Free to see

Filmed here: Mr Ewing meeting Dr Goose on the beach (1849 Pacific Islands)

The 1849 Pacific Islands sequence, in which Mr Ewing meets Dr Goose, was filmed on this popular Mallorca beach in the Serra de Tramuntana. It is public and accessible by road or boat, and it is one of the island's most dramatic coastal spots, reached via a famously winding road. Arrive early in summer: the beach draws heavy crowds, and the cove looks its best in morning light.

Clackmannanshire Bridge, Falkirk
Location 03

Clackmannanshire Bridge

Scotland, Falkirk, United Kingdom Free to see

Filmed here: Swannekkee Bridge in San Francisco (1973)

The newly built Clackmannanshire Bridge near Falkirk appeared as the Swannekkee Bridge in the 1973 San Francisco storyline. It is a working road bridge, so there is no pedestrian wander; views are best from nearby areas along the Forth. Film fans often pair it with a wider Falkirk trip. As with any road bridge, keep to designated viewing spots and follow local signage.

Scott Monument, Edinburgh
Location 04

Scott Monument

Scotland, Edinburgh, United Kingdom Ticketed

Filmed here: Frobisher avoiding Sixsmith on the monument (1936)

In the 1936 storyline, Frobisher avoids Sixsmith on this Gothic spire in central Edinburgh. The monument is open to the public with a ticketed climb up narrow spiral stairs, rewarding climbers with panoramic views over the city. Check opening hours before visiting, as they vary seasonally. Its location on Princes Street makes it one of the easiest Cloud Atlas stops to fit into any Edinburgh itinerary.

City Chambers, Edinburgh
Location 05

City Chambers

Scotland, Edinburgh, United Kingdom Outside only

Filmed here: Cambridge university scenes (1936)

Edinburgh's City Chambers stood in for 1936 Cambridge university scenes. Access is exterior only: the historic building can be viewed from the street, and its grand facade sits right on the Royal Mile, steps from the Scott Monument. That makes it effortless to combine the two Edinburgh locations in a single short walk through the Old Town, which doubles nicely for the film's period atmosphere.

Douglas Street, Glasgow
Location 06

Douglas Street

Scotland, Glasgow, United Kingdom Free to see

Filmed here: San Francisco car crash and streets (1973)

Glasgow's Douglas Street hosted the 1973 San Francisco car crash and street scenes. Glasgow's grid system and hilly streets made it ideal for doubling as San Francisco, avoiding the need to film in California. The street is fully public, so anyone can walk it freely. Film tourists often extend the walk uphill into the surrounding city centre to see more of the terrain that convinced the filmmakers.

Krematorium Baumschulenweg, Berlin
Location 07

Krematorium Baumschulenweg

Berlin, Germany Private property

Filmed here: Sonmi's execution interiors (2144)

This Berlin crematorium provided the stark interiors for Sonmi's execution in the 2144 Neo Seoul storyline. It is private and not generally open to public tours, so there is little reason to plan a visit around it. Travellers curious to see it can only view the building's exterior from outside. Most Cloud Atlas fans treat this as a location of record rather than a practical stop.

Dreischeibenhaus, Düsseldorf
Location 08

Dreischeibenhaus

North Rhine-Westphalia, Düsseldorf, Germany Outside only

Filmed here: Rey and Sixsmith outside building after elevator (1973)

The 1973 scene of Rey and Sixsmith outside the building after the elevator was shot at the Dreischeibenhaus in Düsseldorf, a distinctive office tower in North Rhine-Westphalia. As a working office building, it is exterior only, viewed from the street. Its three-part glass facade is one of the city's most recognisable postwar landmarks, so it interests architecture fans as well as film location hunters.

University of Glasgow, Glasgow
Location 09

University of Glasgow

Scotland, Glasgow, United Kingdom Free to see

Filmed here: Cambridge scenes and yard (1936)

The University of Glasgow grounds played the Cambridge scenes and yard from the 1936 storyline, complementing the Edinburgh-shot interiors. The university grounds are accessible to the public, though visitors should check current visitor information before arriving. The Gilbert Scott spires and quadrangles give the site a convincingly ancient academic feel, and it sits within walking distance of Glasgow's West End attractions.

Port de Sóller, Port de Sóller
Location 10

Port de Sóller

Mallorca, Port de Sóller, Spain Free to see

Filmed here: Ship mooring and bay scenes (1849)

This harbour town on Mallorca's northwest coast provided the ship mooring and bay scenes from the 1849 storyline. It is a public, popular tourist spot, reached by road or by the vintage tram from Sóller. The natural bay looks much as it did on screen, and visitors can watch boats come and go from the waterfront promenade. It pairs easily with a trip to Sa Calobra along the same coast.

Where It Is Set Versus Where It Was Filmed

The film's story spans the 1849 Pacific Islands, 1936 Scotland and Cambridge, 1973 San Francisco, 2012 England, 2144 Neo Seoul and a post-apocalyptic future. Filming happened primarily in Scotland, where Glasgow doubled for San Francisco and London, in Germany at Studio Babelsberg and various cities, and in Mallorca, Spain. Almost none of the settings match where the cameras actually rolled, which makes the location list unusually spread out.

The Studio Side

Studio Babelsberg in Potsdam, Germany, was the production base, with parallel shooting by three directors using two crews. The studio offers tours, making it the single most direct way to stand where Cloud Atlas was made rather than merely where it pretended to be. A 5-hour film-history tour by VW bus includes the Babelsberg Film Studio among its stops.

Tours That Visit These Locations

Only one listed tour connects directly to the film's production history, and it goes to the heart of the matter: the studio where Cloud Atlas was based.

5-Hour Potsdam Film Tour

Potsdam-Babelsberg: 5-Hour-Tour "Film-History" by VW-Bus

A 5-hour film-history tour by VW bus from Potsdam-Babelsberg, stopping at Babelsberg Film Studio, the production base where three directors and two crews shot Cloud Atlas in parallel. Rated 4.9 from 7 reviews, priced at $428 per booking.

4.9 out of 5 · 7 reviews

From$428Check availability

Frequently Asked Questions

Where was Cloud Atlas mainly filmed?

Principal photography was based at Studio Babelsberg in Potsdam, Germany, with three directors working in parallel using two crews. Location shooting took place across Scotland, particularly Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dumbarton, plus Berlin, Düsseldorf and Mallorca in Spain.

Why does San Francisco in the film look like Scotland?

Because it is Scotland. Glasgow's grid system and hilly streets made it ideal for doubling as San Francisco, avoiding the need to film in California. Douglas Street hosted the car crash, and the Clackmannanshire Bridge near Falkirk played the Swannekkee Bridge.

Can you visit Studio Babelsberg?

Yes. The studio is visitable and offers tours. A 5-hour film-history tour by VW bus from Potsdam-Babelsberg includes the studio among its stops.

Where were the Pacific Islands scenes shot?

In Mallorca, Spain. Sa Calobra beach is where Mr Ewing meets Dr Goose, and Port de Sóller provided the ship mooring and bay scenes. The Serra de Tramuntana mountains stood in for the Pacific 'Big Island'.

Can you go inside Overtoun House?

Access is ticketed, and the house operates as a historic property with gardens, a Christian centre and a tearoom. Opening hours vary, so check current information before visiting. It appeared as both Vyvyan Ayrs' 1936 manor and Aurora House in 2012.

Is the Berlin crematorium from the film open to visitors?

No. Krematorium Baumschulenweg, used for Sonmi's execution interiors, is private and not generally open to public tours. Only the exterior can be viewed.

Cloud Atlas rewards travellers who enjoy the trick behind the shot: Scottish streets playing California, a Mallorca cove playing the Pacific, a German studio playing Neo Seoul. Edinburgh and Glasgow locations are walkable and free, Mallorca pairs two coastal stops in a day trip, and the Babelsberg tour in Potsdam ties it all back to the production base. Few films scatter their locations this widely, and fewer make them this pleasant to chase.

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