Where Was The Wheel Of Time Filmed? Every Location Explained
One of the rising series available for streaming is The Wheel of Time, which is an adaptation of the books written by the late Robert Jordan. As a fantasy series that is set at a time that is far from being modern (and is actually post-apocalyptic), it has a unique place of setting because of how it takes place in small towns and woodlands. In that regard, where was The Wheel of Time filmed?
The Wheel of Time was filmed mostly in the Czech Republic, particularly in Prague and around that area. However, there were also scenes that were filmed in countries like Croatia and Slovenia, especially in the scenes that included mountainous and forested areas in line with Jordan’s books.
Amazon is committed to making sure that it stays as true to Robert Jordan’s books as much as possible. As such, the producers of the series saw to it that they filmed the series in places that resemble the ones that are described in the books. However, because the main characters are supposed to travel around a lot, it is expected that they will not be filming scenes for the next season in the same locations.
Where Was The Wheel Of Time Filmed?
The Wheel of Time is a fantasy series that is becoming more popular every week. It is streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime and is quite popular among fans of the books on which it was based. And given the fact that it is a fantasy series, it is set in a place that is unlike the modern times that we live in.
Actually, The Wheel of Time is supposed to be set in a post-apocalyptic world that was the result of the “breaking of the world” caused by someone they call the Dragon. And because the story is based in a more primitive setting, The Wheel of Time needs to be filmed away from modern cities and settlements.
Production and filming started back in 2019, as the crew was given a budget of $10 million per episode. However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, filming had to be put on hold for a year until it was finished in May of 2021. The massive budget allowed the entire crew to film in multiple locations and even build a studio and even a fictional town.
So, where was The Wheel of Time filmed? The series was mainly filmed in the Czech Republic. However, because of how the characters are constantly on the move, it needed to be filmed in multiple other locations as well. And we will be talking about those locations, in brief, to understand why they were ideal locations for filming some of the scenes of The Wheel of Time.
Letňany District, Prague
While The Wheel of Time may have been filmed in multiple locations around the Czech Republic, most of the scenes were shot in the city of Prague, which is the capital and the largest city in the country. And most of the different major scenes were shot in and around Prague, especially due to the very fact that the main characters of the series are always on the move.
The main studio of the entire production crew was built in the Letňany district in Prague. They called it the Jordan studios in honor of the author of the entire book series. So, the reason why this location was probably chosen is that it is quite spacious and isn’t as modernized as some of the other districts in Prague.
This studio became the major scene of the fallen city of Shadar Logoth, which was one of the main places that the main party visited in the second episode of the first season. The scenes showed a picturesque view of a seemingly traditional city with Indian architecture in ruins. And when the party first came to the ruined city, Lan Mandragoran had to explain to them the backstory of the city and how it fell to ruins several ages back. However, much of the Shadar Logoth scene was made using CGI.
Also, the studio was where scenes of the White Tower and the city of Tar Valon were shot. Basically, the Jordan studios in Letňany served as one of the main places where the crew needed to shoot scenes that resembled cities.
Dolský mlýn, Prague
A mill called Dolský mlýn located in the northwest area of the Czech Republic was also used for some of the scenes of the series. This is one of the most iconic parts of the earlier portions of the series as it was used as a camp by the main characters after they fled following the events that happened in the first episode.
This mill is actually quite the looker because of how it comes with an aesthetic that makes it look like ruins. Of course, the place is mostly made of stone, which goes with the more primitive theme of the setting of the entire story of The Wheel of Time.
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in China, Czech and Slovenian Countryside
While the entire production crew never went to the exact location, the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in China was used as one of the places in the first parts of the series. However, it was only used briefly as a background for the opening scene of the first episode of the series.
The stone pillar background was used in a scene where two men were being chased by some women of the Aes Sedai. Most of the background of that sequence was filmed somewhere in the Czech and Slovenian countryside, but the crew decided to add the Zhangjiajie pillars for a more dramatic look. The entire scene was created through CGI, as the crew put together different background footage to create that iconic opening scene of the pilot episode.
Rakov Škocjan Valley, Slovenia
There was a short scene at the start of the pilot episode wherein a group of women are crossing a stone bridge over a stream of water. This scene was filmed in the Rakov Škocjan Valley in Slovenia. It is located close to the town of Cerknica and is a popular tourist destination due to the many caves within that area.
Great Soča Gorge, Slovenia
Also in the pilot episode, there was a short scene wherein the Wisdom named Nynaeve pushed one of the main characters, Egwene, off a cliff into the river. The river is located in the Great Soča Gorge in Slovenia. You can also take a rafting tour of the same river. However, if you don’t feel like rafting, you can take a hike along the Great Soča Gorge.
The Soča river was once again seen when the main party fled Two Rivers to escape the Trollocs or the army of the Dark One. Included in that scene are the Julian Alps, which can be seen in the background of the Soča river.
Outside of Prague
Much of the entire first episode of The Wheel of Time happened in the fictional town called Two Rivers. This is the town where four of the main characters come from and where Moiraine Damodred and Lan Mandragoran went in search of the Dragon Reborn, who turns out to be one of the four young people from Two Rivers.
In the first episode, a great battle between the townsfolk and the forces of the Dark One took place in Two Rivers. This town is actually made for the purpose of that episode and is located in a quarry just outside of Prague. However, the houses that were built mainly for that episode were burnt down during the events of the pilot episode.
Church of St. Wenceslas in Výsluní, Chomutov District
Going back to the Shadar Logoth scene in episode two, the entire party had to escape the Trollocs by entering a temple located in the ruined city. The interior of this temple is actually the Church of St. Wenceslas in Výsluní, located in the Chomutov district. However, they had to modify the interior a bit to fit the Indian-style architecture that the entire ruined city boasted.
Velebit Nature Park Mountains in Croatia and Czech Grand Canyon
In episode three, right after the party escaped the fallen city of Shadar Logoth, they were separated. Rand and Mat were seen hiking in a real-life place called the Velebit Nature Park, which is located in the Balkans and is close to the Adriatic coast of Croatia. After trekking the mountains, the pair arrived in a place called Breen’s Spring, which is a mining town located in the Czech Grand Canyon.
At the end of the first season, there was also some filming in Dubrovnik, Croatia, already famous for a lot of shots from Game of Thrones.
Segovia, Spain
While most of the early scenes were filmed in the Eastern part of Europe, there was a brief moment where we were brought to Spain when the crew filmed in Segovia. This was shown in episode four when we were introduced to the city of Ghealdan. Meanwhile, the castle scene in that episode was shot in the medieval fortress-turned-museum called Alcázar of Segovia.
Why Was The Wheel Of Time Filmed In Prague?
As you can see, much of the first season was filmed in Prague. And you are probably wondering why that is the case. And the reason for filming is the production’s crews dedication to making Robert Jordan’s vision a reality.
Prague is a host to different woodland sceneries that seemed perfect for the majority of the scenes in the first season, as the main party was still trying to escape the Trollocs. And the woodlands and the climate of Prague fit the scenes well enough, as described in the book.
Of course, Prague is an old fifth-century city that has plenty of different buildings that use traditional Eastern European architecture, which was perfect for the city scenes that are used in some of the parts of The Wheel of Time.
And while Robert Jordan himself once said that The Wheel of Time is not set in medieval times, shooting the series in places that showcased Eastern European climate, landscapes, and architecture was best at making audiences understand that the setting of the series is not in line with the more modern age that we live in today.
