MI6 recaps on the locations visited by the Casino Royale production team, including the Bahamas, Czech Republic, Italy and the UK...

Around The World With Casino Royale
7th May 2007

The Bahamas
Bond arrives at Paradise Island, Bahamas, by seaplane, and later drives along a coastal road to the real-life One & Only Ocean Club resort where he eventually meets Dimitrios and his beautiful wife Solange. The Albany Estate, on the West Coast of New Providence Island, served as Dimitrios’ beachfront mansion, where Bond emerges from the sea to watch Solange leading her horse along the sand.

An abandoned motel and its grounds at Coral Harbor on New Providence Island stood in for the shanty town on the African island of Madagascar where Bond watches Mollaka during the snake and mongoose fight. A derelict hotel in the same area became the construction site where Bond pursues Mollaka.

Prague, Czech Republic
Many of the interiors — including the Casino Royale Salon Privé, the compound of the Nambutu Embassy, the interior of Le Chiffre’s yacht and the interior of the sanatorium where Bond recuperates — were filmed in Prague studios at Barrandov and Modrany.

The city itself is seen in the pre-title sequence when Dryden arrives at Danube House, a new office building on the banks of the Vltava, prior to his confrontation with Bond. Other Prague locations include the hilltop Vitkov Monument, a marble mausoleum that was used as the interior of the Miami Body Worlds exhibition. Prague airport stood in for Miami International Airport for the scenes in which Bond follows Carlos through the terminal and onto the tarmac.

The 800-year-old library of the Strahov Monastery was used as the House of Commons interior, and the Neo-Renaissance National Museum in Wenceslas Square was transformed into the reception and stairways of the Grand Venetian Hotel, where Bond and Vesper enjoy a romantic break after their ordeal.

Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic
The spa town of Karlovy Vary, where visitors have taken to the restorative waters since the 14th century, was used as the Montenegrin town where the Casino Royale is situated. The world-famous Grand Hotel Pupp was transformed into the Hotel Splendide, where Bond and Vesper stay during the poker tournament. The Lazne, an imposing though disused turn-of-the-century spa, stood in for the entrance and public room of the Casino Royale.

In the same area of the Czech Republic, the production shot Bond and Vesper arriving in the Aston Martin DBS to meet Mathis in the picturesque town square of Loket. A hospital interior in nearby Plana served as the scene of Bond’s emergency care following his torture by Le Chiffre.

Lake Como, Italy
Villa La Gaeta, a beautiful private residence on the banks of the Lake, was used for the scene in which Bond confronts Mr. White at his home. The grounds of the spectacular Villa del Balbianello, on the Western Shore of Lake Como, became the sanatorium where Bond recuperates from his ordeal at the hands of Le Chiffre.

Venice, Italy
The production was able to shoot on many of the streets and alleyways of Venice, including the world-famous St. Mark’s Square. Special permission was granted for Bond and Vesper’s yacht (the Spirit 54) to sail along the Grand Canal between the Accademia and Rialto bridges, marking the first time in many years a yacht has sailed the Grand Canal. The collapsing house, where Bond pursues Vesper and her kidnapper, was situated opposite the vegetable market by the Rialto, and Bond moors the yacht outside the luxurious Cipriani Hotel on Guidecca.

UK Locations
Dunsfold Aerodrome, near Guildford in Surrey, was the site of the majority of the exterior Miami International Airport runway scenes. This is the location where Alexander Witt and the second unit filmed many of the spectacular action set pieces in which Bond thwarts the terrorist’s attempt to blow up a prototype passenger jet.

Black Park was used to film the rebel camp in Uganda where Mr. White introduces Le Chiffre to Steven Obanno (much to the bemusement of the many dog walkers who frequent the National Park near Pinewood Studios).

Pinewood Studios’ 007 Stage was home to the spectacular engineering feat that was the interior of the sinking house in Venice, where the climactic action sequences, including the bloody confrontation between Bond and Gettler and his henchmen, were filmed. In addition, a full-scale Venetian piazza was built for the conclusion of the scene, when Bond tries to rescue Vesper. Other Pinewood stages were used for model units and green-screen shots.

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Thanks to Sony Pictures.