Tired of always seeing the same spots in dramas? Wish you could also escape to unknown locations with your favorite characters?
Here is a list of the best filming locations outside of South Korea in dramas! So put your seatbelt on and here we go!
P.S.: For all of those who wish to know more about these locations, I highly recommend you check out the website called Korean Dramaland!
Are You Human Too? – Czech Republic
Are You Human Too? has chosen to set parts of its intrigue in Praha in Czech Republic. It is the secret place, where Oh Ro Ra creates her robot son and where the real Nam Shin encounters his counter part for the first time. The distant location, the hidden house and the crowded streets are perfectly adapted to this confusing and confidential atmosphere.
Encounter – Cuba
Our two main characters Kim Jin Hyuk and Cha Soo Hyun happen to accidentally meet in La Havana in Cuba. They get to know each other and realize their reciprocated attraction at the exact same pace we discover the city. Their encounter follows the soft and hectic rhythm of the capital. We take pleasure in witnessing this beautiful meeting and are blown away by the breathtaking landscapes.
Black Knight – Slovenia
Slovenia has everything Black Knight needs! It conveys this mystical, mysterious and time-transcending feeling. The filming location adds great value to the story, connecting the souls of Jung Hae Ra and Moon Soo Ho. Plus, the vast and amazing landscapes immerse us into Soo Ho’s photography and the castles will bring you chills down your spine.
The Package – France
This wonderful drama follows the short holiday trip of a group of tourists throughout France. As we get to explore various emblematic places such as Le Mont Saint-Michel, la Tour Eiffel and the iconic Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris; we also follow the life stories of each characters. The experience is liberating, and healing. France, the country of liberties, manages to provide our tourists with freedom from their worries and proves that it really is the capital of love and romanticism.
Memories of the Alhambra – Spain
Set in Granada in Southern Spain, Memories of the Alhambra cultivates the strong historical background of the beautiful city. The drama revolves around a quest in a video game, that simultaneously allows us to get a glimpse of Granada and its history. We run through the streets, visit unusual places and notorious monuments (the Alhambra itself); follow our own mapping of the town and set our itinerary, as characters do, while trying to go with the rhythm of the video game and Spanish life.
Chocolate/Descendants of the Sun – Greece
Chocolate focuses on the sweet and yet so complicated and painful love story of Moon Chae Young and Lee Kang. Amidst of her seemingly recurring life tragedies, Chae Young feels suffocated and flees to Greece, her refuge by the ocean, where she leads a worry-free and enjoyable life by the ocean. The city has a protective function in the drama, hiding her away from bad people and bad situations. Greece is a breath of fresh air for her, where she can be fully accepted and loved for who she is and what she does.
In Descendants of the Sun, interestingly, Greece – turned into a fantasy country named Uruk – has the exact opposite function, since it is assimilated to a dangerous and threatening place.
However, we can distinguish a common point between both dramas: Greece is the country that unites and bonds both main characters in a relationship.
Goblin – Canada (Québec)
Québec in Goblin is the town of wishes, possibilities and future realizations. The red door signifies escape for our favorite Goblin Kim Shin but also freedom from his immortal condition. We can also notice the importance in the drama of the famous Canadian maple leaves that is a bridge between Kim Shin and his mortal bride Ji Eun Tak. Plus, we also get to discover beautiful places that are very much worth the watch.
The Heirs – The USA (California)
What better place than California and its beautiful Hollywood mansions to show off Kim Tan’s wealth and rich lifestyle? The arrival of Cha Eun Sang (who is poor) in Tan’s American fancy life acts like a trigger, demonstrating him that there are some things more important in life than money. Moreover, their encounter is the perfect epitome of two very opposing worlds colliding one with the other. This collision allows them a glimpse in the other’s life, which in the end really makes them interested in the other.
Crash Landing on You – Switzerland
Probably the most famous location for the year 2020, Crash Landing On You transports us to Switzerland. The mystical lake, the dangerous bridge and the breathtaking landscapes play a huge role in the characters’ encounter, conveying a taste of destiny. Moreover, Switzerland has always been known as a neutral country, so what better place than that to make love bloom between two Korean sides.
Vagabond – Morocco
Vagabond was surely one of the most anticipated dramas of the year 2019. After losing his nephew in a suspicious plane crash with Morocco as a destination, Cha Dal Gun embarks on a long journey to get justice and truth. Morocco in the drama emphasizes the action, making us follow Dal Gun chasing criminals in cramped streets full of people. The sun, the dry landscapes and the dangerous vibe conveyed by the setting immerse us totally in this quest, in which our main lead seems to be invincible and unstoppable.
The Third Charm – Portugal
In this dramatic drama (not a typical romance), Oh Joon Young and Lee Young Jae have both led difficult lives and been through tragic events. As part of their escape from reality and each other, they substitute the coldness in their heart for the Portuguese sun.
A Piece of Your Mind – Estonia
A Piece of Your Mind gives a very mystical and almost enchanted atmosphere to Norway. From the very beginning of the drama, we discover Ji Soo and Ha Won’s childhood is this solitary and vast Norwegian forest that acts as a refuge. However, as the drama advances and their relationship goes adrift, the forest becomes a dangerous place, ready to kill. Despite the fact that the plot supposedly occurs in Norway, the scenes were actually shot in Lahemaa National Park in Estonia! Still, this wonderful landscape does the trick.
Once Upon a Drama 