Watching a much-loved film gives the viewers an opportunity to travel in their mind to some interesting locations; however, it is even better when you can visit the area yourself. There are a number of places you can visit where films or TV were shot to see how reality matches up to celluloid.
The Sound of Music
The stunning medieval architecture of Salzburg in Austria is well worth visiting anyway, but it is also the setting for one of the most enduring and profitable cinematic favourites ever made. It is the birthplace of Mozart, but more people probably know Salzburg as the place where Julie Andrews sang her way into the hearts of Captain von Trapp and a large group of children in The Sound of Music. There are Sound of Music tours and visitors often act out the best-loved scenes from the film. When tourists tire of singing Climb Ev'ry Mountain, they can ski or hike in the nearby Eastern Alps or visit attractions such as museums and Hohensalzburg Castle.
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Carcassonne, in the southern Languedoc region of France, is known as one of the most well-preserved and charming medieval walled towns in Europe. Its winding streets are a joy to explore and the Cité de Carcassonne – a UNESCO world heritage site in its own right – was the backdrop for many scenes in which Kevin Costner strode about as Robin Hood. It was also the setting for the bestselling Kate Mosse novel Labyrinth, which was partly set in the Middle Ages and partly in contemporary France. Naturally, when it was decided to turn the book into a TV series in 2012, Carcassonne was chosen as the perfect place to do the filming. The old fortified city is contained within two walls, which are dotted with 53 watchpoints or towers for guarding the city; there is even a drawbridge. For cycling enthusiasts, Carcassonne has also featured several times as the starting place for various stages of the Tour de France.
Skyfall
Walk along the Thames in the centre of London to see the MI6 building that explodes during the Sam Mendes ‘reboot’’ of the James Bond franchise. Fortunately, it has not blown up in real life, although it was hit by a missile in another Bond outing, The World is Not Enough. M also goes for a drive along Whitehall in Westminster and through Parliament Square, where Big Ben and the neo-gothic Houses of Parliament are located. During Skyfall, Bond visits M at her house in Knightsbridge. This is found at 82 Cadogen Square, SW1, which was also the former home of John Barry, who composed the iconic theme music for the Bond films.
Breaking Bad
Often hailed as one of the best television shows ever made, the state of New Mexico in America is cashing in on the show's popularity. There are organised tours, or fans can hire a car and tour the desert landscapes that were almost as integral a feature as the character of Walter White. While there, have a meal at Garduños, where the characters have a fraught meal; wander around in the downtown area, where many scenes from Breaking Bad were filmed; and find Walt's house in Northeast Heights and the car wash he bought to launder money. The nail salon where the main character in Breaking Bad spin-off Better Call Saul lives out back is also doing a lot more business now and is called Day Spa & Nail; alternatively, if you want to sit on the vibrating chairs in the salon where Saul Goodman met Jesse Pinkman, this is the Zen Nail Spa.
