Sure, Hollywood gets most of the star tour tourist traffic, but there are plenty of other great locations around the world that cinephiles ought to seek out.
In a nicely-researched new compilation for CNN, writer Kyle McCarthy highlights eight of those locations, from film studios and museums to movie-themed tours in countries across the globe.
Included are famed locations like the Hollywood Museum in Los Angeles, the Museum of the Moving Image in New York, the world of Harry Potter in London and Hobbit villages in New Zealand.
And one of those eight world-class film locations just happens to be Barrandov Studios, the legendary location in Prague that is the biggest in the Czech Republic and one of the largest and oldest in Europe.
Barrandov Studios was founded in the early 1930s by brothers Miloš and Václav Havel (Václav was the father of the beloved Czech president of the same name), and named after Joachim Barrande, a 19th century French geologist who had worked at the site where the studio was constructed.
Barrandov went through Nazi rule during WWII and was nationalized during communism, and will be best known to foreigners as the filming site for movies such as Amadeus, Mission: Impossible, Hellboy, Casino Royale, and many, many others.
Barrandov Studios is still a major filming location for foreign movies and TV, but also offers English-language tours of the studio grounds for tourists from around the world.
“The Filmpoint Center in the historic main building tests visitors’ filmmaking knowledge with special effects displays, a set construction workshop and make-up room. In the stars’ dressing room, clothes and props are available for selfies,” writes McCarthy.
“Even the Film Café is decorated like an 18th century drawing room from “Amadeus.” With 10 friends, you can book a backstage tour to see workshops and hot sets.”
Also recommended: the Barrandov-run Prague Cinematic Tour, which includes a walking tour of central Prague movie locations, a boat ride on the Vltava, and a stop at the excellent Karel Zeman special effects museum in Malá Strana.
Read more about Barrandov Studios at their official website.
And check out the full list of CNN’s “8 destinations every film buff needs to visit”:
- The Making of Harry Potter, London, United Kingdom
- Bollywood Tours, Mumbai, India
- Barrandov Studio, Prague, Czech Republic
- Museum of the Moving Image, New York City
- Museo Nazionale del Cinema, Torino, Italy
- Cinema Museum, London
- The Hobbits of New Zealand
- The Hollywood Museum, Los Angeles
Lead photo via Facebook / Barrandov Studios
5 Responses
It’s no surprise that CNN ranks it among the world’s top film locations. With its stunning architecture and versatile settings, Barrandov Studios has played a significant role in bringing countless cinematic stories to life. Kudos to Prague and the talented team behind the studio for their contribution to the film industry.
I have had the pleasure of taking part in multiple shoots at Barrandov Studios over the years, and I was always impressed by the capabilities of the studio and local crew members. Shooting in Prague is often a financial decision, but the below-the-line Czech crews are more professional than what you would find in Hollywood, and aside from the occassional language barrier, a pleasure to work with. Hoping to return to Prague and Barrandov in the future.
Lotte
Congrats Barrandov! A well deserved honor 🙂
Best film studio in Europe
What other studios in Europe can even compete? Only Korda in Hungary and Cinecitta in Rome, Barrandov surpasses even the German studios in infrastructure. Netflix been trying to film in Poland, forget it.