Where Was The Witcher Filmed?

The Short Answer

The Witcher was mainly filmed in Hungary at Mafilm and Origo Studios near Budapest, with Fort Monostor in Komárom standing in for Cintra. Season 1 also used the Canary Islands, Poland and Austria. From season 2 onward production shifted to UK studios in Surrey, with later shoots in Italy, Slovenia, Wales and South Africa.

Netflix's fantasy epic, which premiered in 2019, mostly avoids real places on screen. The Continent is fiction, but the cameras worked across a remarkable range of European locations, from volcanic Canary Islands landscapes to a ruined medieval castle in southern Poland.

Several of those sites are open to the public today, and a handful of tours now take visitors directly to the most famous one, Ogrodzieniec Castle, where the season 1 finale was staged.

Every Location At A Glance

Location	Where	What was filmed	Access
Ogrodzieniec Castle	Podzamcze, Poland	Battle of Sodden Hill finale	Ticketed
Fort Monostor (Monostori Erőd)	Komárom, Hungary	Cintra exteriors and ramparts	Ticketed
Burg Kreuzenstein	Leobendorf, Austria	Vizima castle exteriors, striga fight scenes	Ticketed

Filming Locations Map

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

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Location By Location

The largest and most dramatic ruin on Poland's Eagles' Nests trail, Ogrodzieniec Castle hosted the climactic Battle of Sodden Hill in season 1. The clifftop fortress in Podzamcze, Silesian Voivodeship, appears on screen almost as it looks in person: weathered walls, rocky outcrops and wide views over the surrounding forest. Access is ticketed, and the site is a popular day trip from Krakow and Katowice. Check the official website for opening hours before traveling.

This vast 19th century fortress in Komárom, Hungary, provided Cintra's exteriors and ramparts in season 1. It sits on the Danube about an hour from Budapest and is one of the largest fort complexes in Central Europe. Today it operates as a museum and historic site, open to the public with a large complex and guided tours available. Fans can walk the same ramparts seen during the fall of Cintra, making it one of the most directly recognizable Witcher locations anywhere.

This rebuilt castle near Leobendorf in Lower Austria, a short drive from Vienna, served as the Vizima castle exteriors and the setting for the striga fight scenes in season 1. The castle's assembled medieval architecture, gathered from structures across Europe, gave the production an authentic fortress without heavy set dressing. It is open to visitors with ticketed entry and guided tours, and its proximity to Vienna makes it an easy half day excursion for anyone combining Witcher sightseeing with a city break.

Where It Is Set Versus Where It Was Filmed

The story takes place on the fictional Continent, an invented world of kingdoms like Cintra, Temeria and Kaedwen, so no real country stands in for a real one on screen. Filming happened primarily in Hungary, the UK, the Canary Islands in Spain, Poland and Austria, with later seasons adding Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Morocco and South Africa. Blaviken, for example, was built at Mafilm Studios near Budapest, while Sodden Hill was a genuine Polish castle ruin.

The Studio Side

Interior and town-set work anchored each season. Season 1 built Blaviken, including the Butcher of Blaviken fight, at Mafilm Studios in Fót near Budapest, with Origo Studios in Budapest also used. Season 2 moved entirely to the UK due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, based at Arborfield Studios in Berkshire. Later production used Longcross Studios in Surrey. None of these studios offer public access, so location sites are the practical way to see Witcher filming history in person.

Tours That Visit These Locations

Ogrodzieniec Castle is the one Witcher location with bookable tours attached to it, all departing from southern Polish cities. Options range from shared group day trips to private outings.

From Krakow, Day Trip

From Krakow: "The Witcher" Ogrodzieniec Castle Day Trip

A full day trip from Krakow with a 4.0 rating, currently priced at $329 per booking, suited to visitors pairing the castle with a Krakow stay.

4.0 out of 5 · 4 reviews

From$329Check availability

Krakow Castle Excursion

Krakow: Step Into The Witcher - Ogrodzieniec Castle Trip

A highly rated Krakow departure, this trip earns a 5.0 score and frames the visit around stepping directly into the world of the show.

5.0 out of 5 · 1 reviews

PriceLive on listingCheck availability

Day Trip From Katowice

The Witcher Tour from Katowice

Departs from Katowice, the closest major city to the castle, ideal for travelers already based in Silesia who want the shortest journey to the Battle of Sodden Hill site.

PriceLive on listingCheck availability

Private Ogrodzieniec Tour

"The Witcher "The Witcher" Ogrodzieniec Castle Privat tur

A private tour at $158, giving travelers the castle and surrounding story without other guests, with flexibility on pace and timing.

From$158Check availability

Frequently Asked Questions

Was The Witcher filmed in Poland?

Yes. Ogrodzieniec Castle in Podzamcze, Poland, hosted the Battle of Sodden Hill finale in season 1. Most other Polish-flavored atmosphere came from studios elsewhere, but this castle is the major genuine Polish location.

Can you visit the studios where The Witcher was filmed?

No. Mafilm Studios in Fót, Origo Studios in Budapest, Arborfield Studios and Longcross Studios are working production facilities with no public access. Visitable sites include Fort Monostor, Burg Kreuzenstein and Ogrodzieniec Castle.

Why was season 2 not filmed in Hungary?

COVID-19 travel restrictions forced the production to relocate. Season 2 was filmed entirely in the UK, based at Arborfield Studios in Berkshire, with location work across England.

Where was the striga fight filmed?

The striga fight scenes and Vizima castle exteriors in season 1 were shot at Burg Kreuzenstein, a castle in Lower Austria near Vienna that is open for tours today.

Did later seasons film outside Europe?

Yes. Season 3 shot in Italy at Laghi di Fusine and at Predjama Castle in Slovenia. Season 5 began filming in Cape Town, South Africa, reusing sets from a spinoff production.

Which Witcher location is easiest to visit from Budapest?

Fort Monostor in Komárom, roughly an hour away, played Cintra's ramparts and is open to the public as a museum with tours available. It is the most accessible major site from the Hungarian capital.

For most fans, Ogrodzieniec Castle is the headline destination: a real medieval ruin with a central role in the show and guided trips from Krakow and Katowice. Add Fort Monostor from Budapest or Burg Kreuzenstein from Vienna and a Witcher-themed European itinerary almost writes itself.