Categories: Architectural SignsDesignNon-Electric Signs

Signs of Ice and Fire

Apart from killing off main characters, the popular HBO series Game of Thrones is known for its fantastically exotic locations. Set in the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos, the show regularly films at UNESCO World Heritage Sites, medieval castles and remote, even hostile, destinations.

In the meticulously imagined world of Thrones, the most visible signs are the banners, sigils and crests that adorn the castles, markets and main thoroughfares of ruling families’ landholdings.

But what are the real signs like in the actual cities portrayed in the series? Because signs are often a window into the soul of a culture, we’ve collected photos from many of the show’s locations – both the old and the new – to answer that question.

Jeff Russ

Jeff Russ is a content studio manager for SmartWork Media and was the senior art director of Signs of the Times from 1996-2021. A graphic designer and illustrator with an interest in sign design and sign history, Jeff documents important, interesting and notable design trends in the sign industry as a contributor to Signs of the Times. He has written dozens of features for Signs, and his column, Design Matters, was published for more than a decade.