Where Was Narnia Filmed? Discover the Real-Life Locations in Czechia
The film’s snowy realm is real and you can visit it. Which places in Bohemian Switzerland appeared in The Chronicles of Narnia, what is a digital trick, and how to see them.
When the makers of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe needed a land trapped in endless winter, they did not build it on a sound stage. They filmed parts of it here, in the sandstone country of Bohemian Switzerland on the Czech–German border. Two places in particular stood in for the frozen realm — and both are real, reachable, and look almost exactly as they do on screen.
Why the filmmakers came to Bohemian Switzerland
The 2005 film, directed by Andrew Adamson and based on the novel by C. S. Lewis, was shot mostly in New Zealand. The problem was snow: New Zealand could not be relied on for the deep, permanent winter the story needed, so the production moved to Europe and to the Czech Republic, where reliable winter snow blankets a landscape of pine forest and bizarre sandstone towers. That landscape is the Bohemian Switzerland National Park, and it did the work no studio set could.
Pravčická Gate — the great stone arch
The most recognisable Czech location is Pravčická Gate, the largest natural sandstone arch in continental Europe. In the film, the children are led to the top of a huge snow-covered arch to look out over the frozen land — that arch is Pravčická Gate. The distant mountains in the shot were added digitally, and the figures on the arch were composited in, because walking on the real arch has been banned since 1980 to protect it from erosion. You see it instead from the viewpoints below and beside it — which is where the film's perspective comes from. Under fresh snow, the resemblance to the screen is uncanny.
Tisa Rocks — the snowy forest maze
The other location is the Tisa Rocks (Tiské stěny), a vast labyrinth of sandstone towers and narrow passages above the village of Tisá. This is where the snowy forest scenes were shot — including the youngest sister's first walk into the winter wood. The maze of alleys, gates and hidden squares needed almost no set dressing; in winter, dusted with snow, it is hard to tell the rocks apart from the film. Tisá is open year-round, so it is the one location you can stand in during the same season the film portrays.
Skip the planning
Bohemian & Saxon Switzerland from Dresden
- Hotel pickup included
- Small group, local guide
- Traditional Czech lunch included
What about the Bastei Bridge?
A common assumption is that the nearby Bastei Bridge, on the German side of the region, also appears in the film. It does not — Bastei was not a filming location. It belongs to the same sandstone landscape and is often visited on the same day, but if you are chasing the actual on-screen places, the genuine ones are Pravčická Gate and the Tisa Rocks.
Other Czech Narnia locations
Beyond Bohemian Switzerland, the production used two more Czech sites. The icy wastes were filmed further east, in the Adršpach-Teplice Rocks near the Polish border — a separate region, a couple of hours away. The interiors and smaller sets were built at Barrandov Studios in Prague, one of Europe's oldest film studios. Neither is part of the Bohemian Switzerland landscape, but both belong to the film's Czech story.
Winter or summer?
Winter gives you the authentic look: snow on the towers and the frozen-forest atmosphere the film was made for. The trade-off is safety — the rock steps and ladders at the Tisa Rocks ice over and the trails can be treacherous, so winter visits call for proper footwear and care. Summer is greener and easier underfoot, and it is the only season with the full experience at Pravčická Gate, whose area and the nearby river-boat gorge run roughly from April to October. There is no wrong answer; it depends on whether you want the film's winter or an easier walk.
Good to know: Do not expect "Narnia" signs or a museum — these are natural sites, not a film attraction. The draw is standing in the real landscape, especially under snow.
Seeing both locations in one day
Pravčická Gate and the Tisa Rocks sit on opposite edges of the region, with separate access points and their own parking, so visiting both independently means a fair amount of driving and logistics. A guided day trip folds them into one route. From April to October the day trip from Dresden combines both filming locations in a single day, with hotel pickup, the driving and parking handled, and a local guide who knows where the on-screen views actually are. In winter, when the snowy atmosphere peaks, the Tisa Rocks remain the highlight and are visited year-round.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where was Narnia filmed in the Czech Republic?+
The main Czech locations are the Tisa Rocks (snowy forest scenes) and Pravčická Gate (the great stone arch scene), both in the Bohemian Switzerland National Park. The icy wastes were filmed in the Adršpach-Teplice Rocks near the Polish border, and the interiors at Barrandov Studios in Prague.
Was The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe filmed at Pravčická Gate?+
Yes. The large snow-covered arch where the children look out over the frozen land is Pravčická Gate. The distant mountains were added digitally and the figures were composited in — walking on the arch itself has been banned since 1980.
Was Narnia filmed at the Tisa Rocks?+
Yes. The sandstone labyrinth of the Tisa Rocks, above the village of Tisá, was used for the snowy forest scenes, including the youngest sister's first walk into the winter wood.
Was the Bastei Bridge a Narnia filming location?+
No. This is a common misconception — Bastei does not appear in the film. It is on the German side of the same sandstone landscape and is often visited on the same day, but the real filming locations are Pravčická Gate and the Tisa Rocks.
Can you visit the Narnia filming locations?+
Yes. The Tisa Rocks are open year-round, and the Pravčická Gate area roughly from April to October. Both can be combined in one day on a guided day trip from Dresden.
Is it better to visit in winter or summer?+
Winter gives the authentic snowy look from the film, but the trails ice over and can be treacherous. Summer is easier and is the only season with the full experience at Pravčická Gate. It depends on whether you want the film's winter or an easier walk.
Skip the planning
Bohemian & Saxon Switzerland from Dresden
- Hotel pickup included
- Small group, local guide
- Traditional Czech lunch included