Where was ‘Star Wars’ filmed?

May 4th marks Star Wars Day — a space saga about the eternal struggle between good and evil, the light and dark sides of the Force. This holiday is informal, invented by fans of one of the largest modern franchises. And although the action takes place in a ‘galaxy far, far away,’ in reality, it’s closer than it seems. George Lucas and his team spent decades searching our world for locations that looked alien enough to house Jedi, smugglers, and exotic creatures.

If you’re a fan of the saga and want to personally touch the history of cinema, you can plan a route to these famous filming locations. For example, buy tickets to Tunisia on Kupi.com to see Skywalker’s homeland, or book tickets to Naples on Kupi.com to walk through the corridors of the royal palace. May the 4th be with you!

Tunisia

No Star Wars trilogy has ever been without a desert planet ruled by Hutts. In reality, the landscapes of Tatooine were borrowed from Tunisia. The most iconic spot is the Sidi Driss hotel in the city of Matmata: it served as the set for the interior of the Lars homestead, where Luke Skywalker grew up. And yes, you can still dine in that very dining room here.

If you want to take a photo as if you’re emerging from Skywalker’s dome home, head to Chott el Djerid: this vast dried salt lake served as the backdrop for the homestead’s exterior and the double sunset scene.

The third stop on your ‘star’ journey through Tunisia will be Ksar Hadada — a historic Berber fortified ksar (granary) in southern Tunisia. In 1997, scenes of the slave quarters in Mos Espa for ‘Episode I: The Phantom Menace,’ where Anakin Skywalker’s mother lived, were filmed here. It is located near the city of Tataouine, from which the planet Tatooine got its name.

Italy

‘The Phantom Menace’ generally gave us a great variety of landscapes and magnificent backdrops. Even Italy made an appearance, as always, bringing with it elegance and drama. The Royal Palace of Caserta was transformed into its equivalent for the planet Naboo. Those very long corridors through which Queen Amidala navigated were actually created by architect Luigi Vanvitelli for King Charles III. The task was not easy: the palace had to rival Versailles in its luxury. Did it succeed? It did! You can visit it every day except Sunday.

Italy reappeared in ‘Attack of the Clones.’ This time, the film crew moved to Lake Como: Villa del Balbianello provided its exquisite views for the scene of Padmé and Anakin’s secret wedding. When volcanic landscapes and lava from the planet Mustafar were needed for the finale of ‘Revenge of the Sith,’ the team went to Sicily, to Mount Etna. The actors filmed in a studio, while Lucasfilm special effects artists used footage shot on location as a backdrop for Obi-Wan and Anakin’s legendary duel. The combination of computer graphics and live-action filming made this scene particularly vivid.

Norway

For filming the battle on the planet Hoth in ‘The Empire Strikes Back,’ the film crew went to the village of Finse. Filming took place in extreme conditions right by the Hardangerjøkulen glacier. The actors didn’t even have to pretend to be cold — a real blizzard raged outside. Local Norwegian ski rescuers participated in the battle scenes, and now Finse periodically hosts the ‘Visit Hoth’ fan festival.

Guatemala

The ancient Mayan city of Tikal is now a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage site. In 1977, it ‘played’ the role of the planet Yavin IV, where the rebel base was located in ‘A New Hope.’ The shot of one of them looking from the top of a pyramid at the Millennium Falcon taking off over the jungle became a classic.

Ireland

In the new episodes (‘The Force Awakens’ and ‘The Last Jedi’), Skellig Michael island became the planet Ahch-To, where Luke Skywalker was hiding. This harsh, inaccessible place with ancient stone monastic cells was ideal for a Jedi temple. And the local puffin birds had to be transformed into porgs with graphics because there were too many of them in the shot. So, the birth of one of the cutest creatures of the new trilogy was not a deliberate marketing ploy, but a forced filming necessity.

Jordan

In Episode IX, ‘The Rise of Skywalker,’ the planet Pasaana features one of the new trilogy’s most epic chases. It was filmed in the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan, which was also previously used for filming Jedha moon in ‘Rogue One.’ In general, the local red landscapes often attract filmmakers. The creators of ‘Dune’ and ‘The Martian’ also came here. As a result, the place went viral among movie lovers, and themed hotels, such as ‘Wadi Rum Star Wars Camp,’ appeared here.

UAE

One desert, a second desert… How about a third? If you want to feel like Rey from the new trilogy, talking to BB-8, get tickets to Abu Dhabi on Kupi.com. Your code name is Rub’ al Khali: here in 2014, in the vicinity of the Liwa Oasis, home to some of the world’s highest dunes, the planet Jakku was filmed.

Thailand

Which planets of the far-off galaxy haven’t we covered yet? Kashyyyk! The Wookiee homeworld briefly appears in the third episode, ‘Revenge of the Sith.’ The tropical landscapes, against which a large-scale, though very short, battle with the clone army takes place, were filmed in Phang Nga Bay. To get here, you need to buy tickets to Phuket on Kupi.com. The limestone cliffs rising from the water were famous long before Lucasfilm took notice: one of the ‘James Bond’ episodes was also filmed here. However, any guide will tell you about this, as Ko Tapu island is often simply called ‘James Bond Island’.

Bolivia

At an altitude of about 3,650 m above sea level, in the south of the Altiplano desert plain, lies the dried salt lake Uyuni. It is also the planet Crait from ‘The Last Jedi.’ Thanks to movie magic, it transformed into a unique backdrop for the Resistance’s battle against the First Order. The shots of the snow-white, cracked surface being plowed by ski speeders, followed by clouds of red dust, are among the most impressive and picturesque in the entire film.

Other interesting locations

• Redwood (USA): California’s national parks with giant sequoias became the forest moon of Endor, home of the Ewoks.

• Puzzlewood (UK): An ancient forest in Gloucestershire became the forest of Takodana, where Rey finds Skywalker’s lightsaber.

• Seville (Spain): Plaza de España served as the backdrop for Anakin and Padmé’s walk through the city of Theed.

Many of these locations are accessible for visits, and fans from all over the world undertake true pilgrimages. A journey through Star Wars filming locations is an excellent way to see the most unusual corners of our own planet. May the Force be with you on your travels!