Gaztelugatxe at sunset, Basque Country, Spain Apr 5, 2025

Gaztelugatxe at sunset, Basque Country, Spain

Gaztelugatxe is a stunning islet located on the coast of Biscay in the Basque Country, Spain. It"s famous for its dramatic scenery and the small hermitage, San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, dedicated to John the Baptist at its peak. The hermitage, which dates back to the 10th century, has been rebuilt several times due to damage from battles and fire. Today"s building is perched atop the islet and is accessible by a narrow path that includes 241 steps. It"s a popular pilgrimage site, and visitors often ring the church bell three times and make a wish. According to legend, John the Baptist himself set foot on the islet. The views from the top offer panoramic vistas of the rugged coastline and the Cantabrian Sea. Gaztelugatxe gained international fame as a filming location for the TV series "Game of Thrones," where it served as Dragonstone, the ancestral seat of House Targaryen.

© Eloi_Omella/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Apr 5, 2018Mada’in Saleh archeological site in Saudi Arabia
Apr 5, 2019A day of death and rebirth
Apr 5, 2020The frog prince?
Apr 5, 2021Once upon a time there was a bridge…
Apr 5, 2022Goðafoss waterfall, Iceland
Apr 5, 2023Black grouses lekking
Apr 5, 2024The Bahamas
Apr 5, 2026Easter Sunday

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jan 3, 2019How do ladybugs winter?
Feb 12, 2019To Roswell, and beyond!
Nov 4, 2024Grasmere, Lake District, Cumbria, England
Sep 19, 2024International Talk Like a Pirate Day
Oct 1, 2018It’s NASA’s 60th birthday
Jun 21, 2024World Giraffe Day
Jan 27, 2019A memorial in Germany
Apr 10, 2023Siblings Day
Aug 9, 2022International Day of the World s Indigenous Peoples
Feb 20, 2019An unlikely friendship in the wild
Sep 17, 2019Constitution Day and Citizenship Day
Jan 4, 2023Earth at Perihelion
Jul 18, 2024Coral Reef Awareness Week
Sep 25, 2018Walking among the giants
Jan 25, 2024Ruins of St. Dwynwens Church, Ynys Llanddwyn, Wales
Aug 31, 2022Blue linckia sea stars in Papua New Guinea
Nov 11, 2023Veterans Day
Jan 18, 2023White Sands National Park turns 90
Apr 8, 2026Seattle, Washington
Jun 22, 2022World Rainforest Day
Nov 7, 2021Mack Arch Rock
Jan 15, 2024Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Jun 24, 2019A summertime light show
Apr 15, 2023World Art Day
Feb 7, 2023Village of Labro, Italy
May 31, 2018Leaves of Grass
Apr 25, 2024World Penguin Day
Oct 22, 2025The Belogradchik Rocks in Bulgaria
Feb 10, 2026Es Vedrà and Es Vedranell, Ibiza, Spain
Jan 12, 2018Al-Khazneh in Petra, Jordan