Casino Royale Locations: Czech Republic, Italy, and the Bahamas!
Plot Synopsis
The 2006 Casino Royale is the 21st film in the successful James Bond franchise by Eon Productions, based on the novels by Ian Fleming and a screenplay by Paul Haggis.
In this installment of the James Bond franchise, which began with Dr. No in 1962, James Bond faces off against the shady banker Le Chiffre. Working with “Bond girl” Vesper Lynd (French actress Eva Green) and CIA agent Felix Leiter, he travels to Venice and other stunning locations to stop Le Chiffre and the villainous Mr. White from recovering financial losses from a thwarted terrorist plot.
This third screen adaptation of Casino Royale marks Daniel Craig’s debut in the iconic British Spy James Bond role with stars such as Judi Dench (M) and Mads Mikkelsen (Le Chiffre).
Filming Locations in the Czech Republic
Several pivotal scenes in Casino Royale take place in the Czech Republic. Filming locations include Prague and the towns of Loket and Karlovy Vary.
The Body World Museum
The Ministry of Transportation in Prague served as the exterior for the Body Works Museum in Miami, where James Bond confronts Dimitrios. Interior sets, which feature creepy plastinated skeletons, took place in the National Memorial in Vitkov Park, near the banks of the Danube river.
The Grand Venetian Hotel
The fictional Venetian hotel offers impressive views of Italy, but its stately lobby is the National Museum in Wenceslas Square, Prague.
The Casino Royale
The casino that is the basis for the film’s name and hosts the film’s poker game is the former Kaiserbad Spa in the town of Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. Karlovy Vary provides exterior shots for the surrounding casino town. The Mill Colonnade in the same town was the filming location for scenes at a Montenegro train station.
Hotel Splendide
In Casino Royale, James Bond and Vesper Lynd stay at the Hotel Splendide, a recurring setting in Ian Fleming’s work. The luxurious Grandhotel Pupp in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, fills in for the Hotel Splendide.
The British Embassy in Prague
The opening sequence, where Bond earns a coveted status, takes place in a British government hub. The striking and modern Danube House is part of the recent commercial development on the south shore of the Danube river in the Czech Republic.
Philosophical Hall in the Strahov Monastery, Prague, is a House of Commons meeting room for footage set within the United Kingdom. The Strahov Monastery is over eight centuries old, with deep connections to the history of the Czech Republic.
A Town in Montenegro
The picturesque town of Loket and its castle, dating back to the 1230s, lends beauty and nobility to exterior shots. Loket is where Bond meets Mathis, his contact in Montenegro.
Filming Locations in the Bahamas (New Providence Island and Paradise Island)
Casino Royale shows the nefarious Alex Dimitrios and his wife Solange living in a beautiful villa in the Bahamas. This location is Albany House on New Providence Island, also in the Bahamas.
The Atlantis Casino
The Atlantis Casino appears as James Bond arrives in Nassau, the Bahamas. It features in a driving scene with James Bond’s iconic Aston Martin.
The Ocean Club
The Ocean Club, also on Paradise Island, plays itself in a scene where James Bond infiltrates security in pursuit of an international criminal.
Grand Coral Harbour (and a Nearby Construction Site)
James Bond emerges from the water in the Grand Coral Harbour on New Providence Island in the Bahamas. Scenes at the location, including a slum in Madagascar and a chase through a construction site in pursuit of a bomb maker, occur in New Providence.
Miami International Airport
James Bond’s activities at the Miami Body Worlds Exhibition bring him to the city’s international airport in downtown Nassau. The airport in real life is about 150 miles away from the real Miami Airport as it’s in the Bahamas.
Nassau International Airport (Lynden Pindling International Airport) is on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. Watch the Miami airport scene for a cameo from a real-life billionaire.
Filming Locations in Italy
Some “Italian” scenes in Casino Royale took place on a Pinewood Studios soundstage or in Prague. However, the film crew shot on location in Italy for scenes shot in Venice and the Lake Como area.
Filming for many shots in Casino Royale took place near Lake Como in the Lombardy region of Italy. Exterior shots in Venice include breathtaking views of the Grand Canal (Canal Grande).
Thankfully, the filmmakers did not shoot the intense “sinking house” scene on location in Venice. Instead, they created a villa set on the Pinewood Studios lot in Buckinghamshire.
The Lakeside Sanatorium
James Bond recovers from injuries midway through Casino Royale. The real-life counterpart to this hospital has a dual identity.
The exterior shots are of the Villa del Balbianello near Lake Como, which features in Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones. The interior shots are of a former Soviet-era hospital in the Czech Republic.
Piazza San Marco
Although the interior shots of the Grand Venetian Hotel come from filming in Prague, the film still features spectacular views of the Piazza San Marco (or St. Mark’s Square) and other locations such as the Campiello Del Remer and the Rialto Bridges in Venice.
The Final Scene
The unforgettable final scene takes place at the doorstep of the Villa la Gaeta on the western shore of Lake Como.
Scenes from Casino Royale Filmed in Other Locations
Black Park in Buckinghamshire stands in for the remote jungle location in Uganda where Mr. White meets financier Le Chiffre. Black Park offers tourist attractions such as hiking and wildlife tours.
Take a Trip to See James Bond Film Locations
Bond films are known for their stylish, larger-than-life backdrops in far-flung locations.
Follow the footsteps of Daniel Craig and the rest of the cast with a contemporary tour of Casino Royale’s most iconic sites in Venice, Lake Como, the Czech Republic, the Bahamas, and beyond. Imagine yourself in the fictional world of Casino Royale and learn the surprisingly rich history behind the real-life locations by taking your next trip to the James Bond filming locations in the Bahamas or the Czech Republic.
Are you looking for more James Bond locations? Check out Skyfall!