Where can Goblin fans go beyond South Korea? 6 locations used in K-drama series you can visit
Viewers around the world were captivated by the romance between immortal goblin Kim Shin (Gong Yoo) and high-school student Ji Eun-tak (Kim Go-eun), in 2016’s Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, also known more simply as “Goblin”.
Written by K-drama legend Kim Eun-sook (who wrote the Lovers trilogy, Secret Garden, Descendants of the Sun and Mr Sunshine, among others), it became the third-highest-rated cable drama in Korea.
While most the scenes were filmed in Korea, the historic quarter of Quebec was featured quite prominently, and is a special place for both Kim Shin and Eun-tak.
Parc du Bastion-de-la-Reine is where Eun-tak first introduces herself as Kim Shin’s bride in front of his “grave”, after secretly following him there through a portal. The exit of the portal is actually Théâtre Petit Champlain, a well-known theatre and concert venue. And the majestic hotel that Kim Shin owns is actually the historic Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, a five-star hotel built by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1893.Other filming locations in Quebec employed include 68 Rue Sainte-Ursule and Fontaine de Tourny.
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S pain
Used in: Legend of the Blue Sea
The medieval port city of A Coruña is where Jun Ji-hyun’s bumbling mermaid Shim Chung first learns how to eat spaghetti, at the Atlántico bar in the Plaza de María Pita, in 2016’s fantasy romance Legend of the Blue Sea. Shim Chung and Heo Joon-jae (Lee Min-ho) also visit the ancient Roman lighthouse Tower of Hercules (Torre de Hércules), a National Monument of Spain and Unesco World Heritage Site.
Thought to be modelled after the famed Lighthouse of Alexandria, the 55-metre high tower has been in operation since being built in the 2nd century, and remains the oldest Roman lighthouse in use today.
Also in Spain
Used in: Memories of the Alhambra
The medieval fortress of Alhambra, Granada, was where tourist guide Jung Hee-joo (Park Shin-hye) leads her group, and also where cynical CEO Yoo Jin-woo (Hyun Bin) walks through when playing Jung Se-joo’s (Exo’s Chanyeol) intricate augmented reality game, in Memories of the Alhambra – one of 2018’s biggest hits, showcasing the beautiful Moorish architecture of Granada.
For sweeping views of the city, head to San Miguel Alto Shrine (Ermita de San Miguel Alto). The former hermitage is where Jin-woo realises his rival Cha Hyung-seok (Park Hoon) is also taking part in the augmented reality game.
Other locations in Granada employed in Memories of the Alhambra include Mirador San Nicolás, Calle Calderería Nueva, Street Puente Espinosa and the school Hail Mary Motherhouse.
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Greece
Used in: Descendants of the Sun
While Song-Song Couple may have split, their dramatic love story in 2016’s Descendants of the Sun will live on. Chase your lover across the sand the way Yoo Shi-jin (Song Joong-ki) chased Kang Mo-yeon (Song Hye-kyo) on Navagio Beach, on Zakynthos, in the Ionian Islands of Greece.
The shipwreck shown in the drama is no prop – the freight-liner MV Panagiotis was stranded here in the 1980s. The beautiful cove with crystalline waters is also known as Smugglers’ Cove, due to rumours that the MV Panagiotis was smuggling contraband.
Cuba
Used in: Encounter
“Noona killer” Kim Jin-hyuk (Park Bo-gum) romanced Cha Soo-hyun (Song Hye-kyo) in 2018’s Encounter, drinking coffee with her in fine-dining restaurant Al Carbón, before enjoying a romantic stroll in Havana’s Central Park. The park is surrounded by classic buildings such as the Hotel Inglaterra and the Gran Teatro de La Habana.
Other Havana locations utilised include the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, Antonio Maceo Park, the historic bed and breakfast Casa Lafayette 269 and Café del Angel. Havana ooh na-na.
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Slovenia
Used in: Memories of the Alhambra (again)
While Memories of the Alhambra was set in Spain and Korea, not all of the Spanish scenes were actually shot there. When Jin-woo first enters the augmented reality game and battles his first “soldier” beneath a monument, it’s actually the Hercules Fountain, located in the Old Town of Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia.
Other locations from the city include Sorbara Steakhouse and Cobblers’ Bridge.
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