Most Iconic Skyrim Locations We'll Never Forget

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim did a lot of things well, even if its main story left a lot of fans lukewarm. One of its biggest successes is the world, where, for the first time, we had an abundance of handcrafted unmarked locations, unique dungeons, and sprawling cities that really felt like a dynamic microcosm of NPCs. Skyrim feels like a sandbox, a real world you can stay and live in for a while, full of character even years after.

With not much news of The Elder Scrolls 6 as the wait continues, it's a good time to jump back into Skyrim and remember all our favorite locations. If you're planning on starting another playthrough soon, here are a few spots you might want to visit again for old times' sake. Or, if you're only just now getting into Bethesda's latest Elder Scrolls game, then make sure you put these spots on your itinerary.

Whiterun

A Beloved First City And First Home

It's tough to pick just one good city in Skyrim. Solitude has an impressive appearance, but a lot of players don't naturally end up there until later on in the game. Whiterun, on the other hand, is close to Helgen, and the main quest will guide you there early on. Its player home is the most accessible in the game, as it's the cheapest to purchase and upgrade, and its central location makes it a good spot to set your base of operations.

Visually, Dragonsreach is beautiful, towering over the rest of the city, from the bustling marketplace to the fountain area where the statue of Talos is found. You'll encounter countless iconic characters here, too: Jarl Barlgruuf, the most memed character right after Nazeem, who wonders if you ever get to the Cloud District. Of course you don't! Whiterun is a safe haven, a nostalgic first home for most players, and for that, it's unforgettable.

Shrine of Azura

Azura's Great Statue Against The Backdrop Is A Sight To Behold

If the shrine of Azura looks vaguely familiar to you, it's because this iconic statue has a very similar real-life twin in Turkey. A visual masterpiece, the shrine is located in the northeastern part of Skyrim, before you get to Winterhold and above Windhelm in the cold, frosty mountains. This desolate location is something right out of a fantasy book, visible from afar in its glory.

Approach it, and you'll meet a lone priestess and get entangled in one of the game's many Daedric quests. While the quest itself isn't the best, coming to this location to visit it at least once and admire the sights all around it is worth your while, and a stop that everyone should make while on their way to the Winterhold.

Throat of the World

Skyrim's Highest Point Is One Heck Of A Climb

Another main quest location is what's called the Throat of the World, the highest point in the entire province. The mountain is so imposing that it can be viewed from afar from countless perspectives. You can try and scale it from different angles, which makes for a cool challenge, but the easiest way up is to take the steps from Ivarstead like a true pilgrim.

You'll likely visit this place early on, too, once you defeat your first dragon and get summoned by the Greybeards to High Hrothgar. That location is also quite impressive, with a path leading up even further to where you'll eventually speak with Paarthurnax. The impressive heights and the desolate, snowy, windy views are the essence of Skyrim, something you'll never forget after completing this part of the game and learning some of your first shouts.

Bloated Man's Grotto

A Gorgeous Cave With A Cool Blade

Located north of Lake Ilinalta on the other side of the mountain range, you might wander randomly into a cave known as the Bloated Man's Grotto. It's one of the prettiest caves in Skyrim due to how much greenery is in here, and towards its end, you'll find a secret shrine to Talos with some loot, including Bolar's Oathblade, an enchanted katana.

If you're looking for a unique weapon, definitely make a detour here. Otherwise, a Daedric quest for Hircine, Ill Met by Moonlight, will also eventually lead you here to get rid of Sindig. Most caves in Skyrim tend to be dark, earthy caverns, but this, along with Ancestor Glade and one more which we'll cover later, are some of the most jaw-dropping mini dungeons you'll encounter.

Labyrinthian

One Of The Greatest Nordic Ruins

Skyrim's specialty is the variety of Nordic ruins you'll wander into, and Labyrinthian is definitely among the biggest, most impressive ones. Considering handcrafted dungeons were one of Skyrim's main advertisement points, it's a no-brainer to include Labyrinthian among the most iconic spots. It has a huge, elaborate outdoor section, and used to be one of the crowning jewels of the Dragon Cult.

Some of the lore even states it's likely it once served as the capital city of the province, and seeing its appearance, it doesn't seem too far off the mark. It's also here that you can bring all eight Dragon Priest masks to get your hands on the ninth one, if you're a collectionist. Although you can come here at any time, you may want to first start the College of Winterhold quest, which will naturally bring you here. There's also the Lost Valkygg, a separate dungeon that isn't attached to any questline.

Falkreath

The Heavily Wooded Areas Are A Contrast To The Rift

It was a tough pick between the autumnal glory of the Rift's forests and the deeply green and wooded areas of Falkreath, so this time, we picked Falkreath Hold. It's also sort of an iconic hold because it's where the story of the Dragonborn technically starts. You're going down the road towards Helgen as a prisoner, and it's where you first encounter a dragon and have to make a close escape.

The views are absolutely immaculate, and if you're at all partial to some graphic and cosmetic mods, you can make Falkreath's forests look even more enchanting with a few tweaks. There's also a fun little Daedric quest involving a talking dog, and of course, the secret entrance to the sanctuary of a dark group that people only whisper about.

Forgotten Vale

An Unforgettable Sub-Location For Dawnguard DLC

About time we mentioned one of the DLC locations. It was another tough pick between the Forgotten Vale and Tel Mithryn, which is found on Solstheim and is a nice callback to the exotic and strange vistas of Morrowind. However, the Forgotten Vale's glacial, desolate views have a slight edge. It's also a bit magical because of the lore implications the whole place has for Snow Elves or Falmer.

We only see Falmer in their twisted forms in the Dwemer ruins, so to actually see what one of their homes once looked like is a bit magical, to say the least. It's here that you'll uncover Auriel's Bow, but it's also here that you can find the twin dragons that emerge from the ice in spectacular fashion. Truly, it's one reason to jump into Dawnguard's questline, just to experience it all again.

Sovngarde

The Stage For Skyrim's Final Showdown

Sovngarde is a location players will only hear spoken of in religious or superstitious contexts in the game, until the main quest ultimately brings you there to face off against Alduin. It's the Nordic afterlife, a place where an eternal feast for heroes is served, and what a beautiful place it is. The sky is lit up with a red aurora, and distant statues and ruins gaze down at you when you first arrive here.

And then there's Tsun, your final challenge before you're granted passage to the afterlife, and to the boss fight of the main quest. While Skyrim's main story is somewhat lackluster as it doesn't give players much agency, you have to admit that this is an incredible backdrop for the game's culmination.

Eldergleam Sanctuary

Kynareth's Most Beautiful Holy Site

Earlier, we discussed some of the iconic and gorgeous natural caves Skyrim has, but nothing beats the visuals of the Eldergleam Sanctuary. This is a spot that's best visited during a quest, because in order to get close to the holy tree in the middle, you'll need a special weapon that's given to you by Danica Pure-Spring. You can start this quest by visiting the Temple of Kynareth in Whiterun.

The pillar of light, shining down on a massive tree with sprawling roots that bar your path to get closer to it all, creates this super cinematic experience for such a small, simple quest. They didn't have to go so hard to make this location beautiful, but they did. It's a true testament to Bethesda's environmental storytelling skills, one they'll hopefully deliver on again with the eventual sixth game of the franchise.

Blackreach

Just When You Thought You'd Seen Everything

The first time you step into Blackreach is nothing short of magical. Up until now, you've probably explored all sorts of dungeons, caves, even underwater spots, and climbed high mountains. Blackreach takes you by surprise as you enter it from one of its three Dwemer city entrances.

It's a gorgeous, massive cavern of bioluminescent light, dangerous Dwemer and Falmer enemies, as well as a secret underground dragon encounter. Make sure to come when you're really prepared to fight hard against your foes, because it's a tougher location, but visually, without parallel. There's nothing quite as magical as Bethesda's take on the Underdark. It goes to show just how much love and attention to detail were given to Skyrim's worldbuilding.