Here's How to Visit the Viral Basketball Court in Kings Landing
The rooftop basketball court in Dubrovnik, Croatia is trending, and it's a real place you can visit for free.
If you missed out on the first round of cultural hype around Game of Thrones, don't worry—a prequel is airing now and is in its second season. House of the Dragon is set before Game of Thrones began but includes many of the same fictional locations in the first series, including the capital of Westeros and the Seven Kingdoms, King's Landing.
As fans of the first show know, much of King's Landing is actually shot in a real-life city for Game of Thrones. (According to reports, most of the King's Landing scenes were shot on a Warner Bros. set.) Dubrovnik, Croatia has become so popular with fans of the series that it has contributed to the city becoming the European destination with some of the worst overtourism in the world.
Now, even though King's Landing might mostly exist in the set designs on some studio lot, one location not featured in either show is getting a ton of attention from GOT and HOTD fans. An aerial photograph of a rooftop basketball court in Dubrovnik went viral on X, formerly Twitter, prompting fans to posit what political, dragon-fueled plotlines could play out on a basketball court.
The photo launched one million memes. Here are just a few that made Thrillist laugh:
The court that inspired so many internet shenanigans isn't some hidden location. It's one of the most photographed basketball courts on Instagram, and dozens of Reddit threads and blog posts are dedicated to its glorious existence. Architectural Digest even named it one of the best-designed basketball courts in the world in 2022.
It is one of two basketball courts inside the city's walls, according to Courts of The World. This one is just off the main road, located at 20000, Grad, Dubrovnik, Croatia. According to Google reviews, it is open 24 hours a day and is free to enter. Reviewers say it is a bit of a hike to reach and can sometimes be busy, but it is totally worth it—for the basketball court and the views of the city it provides.
Go during the early morning hours to avoid the crowds and shoot some hoops. Just don't expect any dragons to join in for a pickup game.
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