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

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

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Apr 4, 2019Taking the forest to the cloud
Jan 14, 2021Summer huts in winter
Aug 16, 2021Let s ride! It s Roller Coaster Day
Jan 22, 2019Is this Minecraft headquarters?
Nov 6, 2021World Numbat Day
Dec 11, 2018‘The mountains are calling’
Jun 5, 2023World Environment Day
Nov 29, 2022Giving Tuesday
Aug 20, 2024Sunrise at Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Mar 6, 2019Dreaming of the Tyrrhenian Sea
Apr 5, 2018Mada’in Saleh archeological site in Saudi Arabia
Mar 14, 2025Celebrating Pi Day
Feb 2, 2021Did it see its shadow?
Jun 15, 2024International Surfing Day
Apr 26, 2024Arbor Day
Jul 10, 2023A field of English lavender
Jan 29, 2024Golling Waterfall, Salzburg, Austria
Dec 24, 2018The birthplace of a classic Christmas carol
Apr 14, 2025National Dolphin Day
Mar 4, 2018Australian baobab tree, Kimberley region, Western Australia
Jul 27, 2025Barracudas at Shark Reef, Ras Mohammed National Park, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt
Aug 1, 2023National Mountain Climbing Day
May 17, 2023Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz, California
Mar 7, 2020Summer winds down in the Southern Hemisphere
Nov 28, 2023Giving Tuesday
Apr 7, 2023International Beaver Day
Jan 2, 2023Hohenzollern Castle near Stuttgart, Germany
May 28, 2023Tegallalang terrace farms in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Jun 22, 2024World Rainforest Day
Apr 29, 2020Spring comes to the Palouse