December is known for the lovely winter time, for Christmas, for people traveling to see all the beautiful Christmas markets throughout the world and many other things connected with the festive season and celebrations. But not this year! December 2015 will be remembered by the following sentence: “The Force Awakens.”
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Star Wars locations
Since recently the force has awakened, and the 7th edition of the world’s most famous movie Star Wars has arrived in almost every cinema throughout the world. The Star Wars fans have waited for ten years for the new part of the most successful sequel of all times. And eventually, after watching it, you are probably still under the impression and into the hype of the Star Wars fever that’s been ruling the world recently. So in the name of the legendary movie that’s of great value for many people in the world, we would like to present you the places where every fan and person that respects the Star Wars movies would like to go and spend some time.
If you’re a passionate Star Wars fan and you are looking for the perfect place to spend the Christmas holidays, then these places might just be what you’re looking for. Take a look:
Villa del Balbianello, Lake Como, Italy
When you’re watching an exciting movie like the grand Star Wars, it is not that easy to forget a romantic scene, especially when Padme Amidala and Anakin Skywalker praised their sweet love, while hiding from those who were trying to assassin the beautiful Amidala. Those heartwarming scenes were filmed in the beautiful Villa del Balbianello, situated in the commune of Lenno, Italy, which overlooks Lake Como. The place itself is truly breath-taking which is the reason why this destination was probably chosen to be the place where Amidala and Anakin got married.
Avenue 7, Novembre, Medenine, Tunisia
Probably one of the most visited sites by Star Wars fans, a location you should remember as here you will find Anakin Skywalker’s home. If you’re traveling to Tunisia, you should take a look at this place as the construction is ancient and authentic. It is a ksar, and this place is mainly remembered and can be noticed in the first part of the Star Wars trilogy, where Anakin used to live.
Death Valley National Park, California, Nevada
The hometown of the Skywalkers widely known as Tatooine is mainly filmed in Tunisia. However, the Death Valley National Park has also been chosen for filming several famous scenes that were taking place on Tatooine. Maybe you won’t recognize at first, but many crucial scenes from Star Wars: A New Hope have been filmed exactly in Death Valley between the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Mojave Desert.
Grindelwald, Switzerland
Grindelwald is truly breath-taking by all means, but for the Star Wars fans, it is of significant value since this place is the home of Princess Leia. Visiting this destination will take you back in time since technically this place doesn’t exist anymore in the movies as it was destroyed by the Death Star. Grindelwald is the perfect place for hiking, skiing, tobogganing and many other outdoor activities, so there’s no doubt you’re going to love it.
Crescent City, California
The woods just outside of Crescent City in Northern California have been the perfect location to film some of the massive ground battles of Endor from the part of The Return of the Jedi. The production team of the movie found the woods of Crescent City to be the ideal surrounding for filming the battles of Endor, so if you’re going through these woods, be careful not be attacked by the rulers of the Dark Side.
Seville, Spain
You have to admit that the creation of the planet Naboo is a masterpiece, as the globe is the most wonderful one seen in the Star Wars movies. The creators have put a lot of effort to mesmerize you, and hopefully, they’ve done a great job. However, even though most of the scenes are made by the wonders of computer animation, there are several scenes of Naboo that are filmed in Seville. That’s why if you’re going to Seville you have to visit The Plaza de Espana, a real piece of art built in 1929, used as a set for the filming of Naboo.
Chott el Jerid, Tunisia
It is interesting to notice that the production team of the movie Star Wars has spent significant time in Tunisia, as there are many scenes filmed on different location in Tunisia. If you visit the Chott el Jerid Lake there, you will recognize the surface of Tatooine which is shown in the 4th episode.
Dunes de sable, near Nefta, Tunisia
You probably remember the legendary scene of your two favorite characters – R2D2 and C3PO wandering through the desolate deserts. Well, this scene has made the Dunes near Nefta a popular tourist attraction. The dunes shift over time, so it’s kind of hard to catch the right surrounding of the original scene. However, if you’re going there with a tour guide, make sure to ask him/her to show you the nearby places where the movie was filmed.
Abu Dabi, United Arab Emirates
If you haven’t seen the Force Awakens yet, here is an interesting info about the new location J.J. Abrams chose for filming one of the numerous scenes of the legendary movie. We are talking about a desert in the United Arab Emirates which is the location for filming the planet Jakku. Even if you haven’t watched the movie yet, you’ve probably already seen the trailer, and you’ve probably already noticed the new Stormtrooper Finn. Well, the scenes where you can see Finn are filmed in Abu Dabi.
Buttercup Valley, Yuma Desert, Arizona
Apparently, not every desert scene is filmed in Tunisia. The Buttercup Valley in Arizona is the place where the Great Pit of Carkoon was shot. If you have trouble remembering the scenes, here’s a tiny reminder: the Great Pit of Carkoon was the home to the Sarlacc that eats Jabba’s prisoners in the Return of the Jedi.
Finse, Norway
There’s a tiny village in Norway called Finse where the production team of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back have eventually so fallen in love with that they decided to film the exteriors of the ice world, Hoth, there. Also, the authentic Hardanger Jokulen Glacier is the location of the main battlefield scenes of the fifth part of Star Wars.
It is interesting to notice that this exciting movie that has been amusing its viewers since 1977 is locating filming sets throughout the whole world and not just in the indoor filming studios. There are plenty of other places that have also been used for the filming of the legendary Star Wars. However, we separated these as fantastic destinations for the real Star Wars lovers. So don’t hesitate to make your list of places to visit and relive the unforgettable scenes of your favorite movie of all time. Only when you visit these fabulous destinations, you will know if you’re ready to join the Light or the Dark Side of the Force. Until then, may the force of traveling be with you!
