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:

Aug 26, 2020Spotted Lake emerges
Mar 29, 2018It’s Opening Day for Major League Baseball
Sep 21, 2025Sea Otter Awareness Week
Nov 15, 2021Manatee Awareness Month
Nov 9, 2021Dalyan, Turkey
Aug 4, 2019Pups of the prairie
Jan 9, 2023Wind Cave National Park celebrates 120 years
Jun 14, 2022Museum Mile Festival
Apr 4, 2020In the path of the pronghorn
Oct 31, 2022Wychwood Forest, Oxfordshire, England
Nov 22, 2021Irohazaka road
Dec 3, 2024Amber Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
Apr 19, 2024Ring of Brodgar, Orkney, Scotland
Sep 10, 2018Party like it’s 5779
Jul 14, 2022Shark Awareness Day
Nov 12, 2024Arches National Park anniversary
Jun 15, 2026Great Smoky Mountains National Park turns 92!
Apr 29, 2025Formal garden at Château de Villandry, Loire Valley, France
Feb 18, 2025The Great Blue Hole, Belize
Apr 14, 2021Nothing plain about it
Jan 21, 2024Squirrel Appreciation Day
Sep 2, 2019Detroit Industry Murals by Diego Rivera
Jan 11, 2021At the gates of the ksar
Apr 26, 2021Cheese! We ll go somewhere where there s cheese!
Aug 31, 2022Blue linckia sea stars in Papua New Guinea
Dec 14, 2021American robin
Mar 24, 2018Crimson-rumped toucanet in the Refugio Paz de Las Aves, Ecuador
Feb 27, 2026International Polar Bear Day
Feb 28, 2019Over and under the delta
Jul 10, 2018Wyoming celebrates its statehood