Winterfell

The Starks' castle, warmed by a hot spring.

Winterfell is the ancestral castle of House Stark and the political capital of the North, at the region's geographical centre. It has a cold, subarctic climate with snowy winters and cool summers.

Quick Facts

Seat of: House Stark
Region: The North
Filmed at: Castle Ward, Northern Ireland (season 1)

Lore & Background

The castle is built over a natural hot spring whose water runs inside its walls, heating the halls and rooms and a glass garden, collecting in pools in the godswood and keeping the ground from freezing.

Reader's Guide

For the television series, the pilot and first season used the clock tower and courtyard of Castle Ward in County Down, Northern Ireland, to depict Winterfell.