In The last of us, Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) walk through the ruins of a post-apocalyptic America, but if you want to visit the real filming locations (pre-Cordyceps, naturally) you will need to travel north of the border into Canada. Yes, you heard that right: Like many previous productions, such as Marvel Studios, which shoots many of its New York scenes in Atlanta, Georgia, the creative team on the hit HBO series used fictional locations to Boston, Salt Lake City and Austin. . The last of We It was actually the biggest film production in the history of the Canadian province of Alberta.

Of course, it will be difficult to visit the city of Bill and Frank or the quarantine zone of Boston, because were completely built from scratch for the TV series on an outdoor set, and have probably since been dismantled, as is often the case with big budget productions. “It took us two months to build the Quarantine Zone,” Emmy-nominated production designer Jonh Paino told Vanity Fair in January. “In important places, whether cities or states, there are always liminal zones, old military bases or factories. We found nothing like that. [en Canadá]”.

However, on your next trip to Alberta, you may discover many locations where the series was filmedquiet towns of High River and Fort Macleod, to Calgary, the major metropolis of the province. Here’s our guide to the best destinations without having to carry duct tape or Molotov cocktails with you.

Advice: in the webpage Alberta Travel you will find useful map of all the filming locations in the area, assuming you have a few weeks to visit them all.

Upper River, Alberta, Canada

The small town of High River, located about 42 kilometers south of Calgary, was one of the main filming locations for the scenes set in downtown austin, in the first episode of The last of Us (more precisely, the scenes of the normal life of the protagonists before the world shit).

Here is the dead end of the neighborhood of JoelSarah and Tommy the highway out of town and the restaurant (Evelyn’s Memory Lane Diner) where an infected man chases Joel and Sarah. According to the official website Alberta Travelthe city of Bill and Frank was built in an old neighborhood High River residential area called Beachwood Estates, abandoned after a devastating flood in 2013.

Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada

With a charming and historic Main Street that would make any Disney theme park blush, Fort Macleod has been the scene of countless film productionsSince Brokeback Mountain until Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Now you need to add The last of us to the list. Located just two hours south of Calgary, the city played a starring role in the series’ first episode, albeit in the midst of absolute chaos on the day of the outbreak. A former antique store served as watch repair shop where Sarah fixes Joel’s watch for his birthday, with some buildings in the environment created with computer graphics, since it’s actually a relatively sparsely populated street.

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Calgary, one of the largest cities in AlbertaAlthough it is not its capital, it has been the setting for many scenes in the HBO series. In the second episode, for example, the Hotel des Arts in Calgary, it replaced the Boston Colonial Museum where Joel, Tess (Anna Torv) and Ellie faced off against a duo of clickers (people infected with advanced cordyceps). Later, two Calgary educational institutions were chosen to house the fictional Eastern Colorado University: Mount Royal University and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. Maybe the most logical thing would be to stay in Calgary visit the most famous filming locations of The last of Us: The lavish Fairmont Palliser is a popular choice among travel enthusiasts, but the central Hyatt Regency is also a good pick.

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Edmonton, the capital, appeared alongside Calgary in the second episode of The last of We, replacing Boston in various exterior shots. In particular, the Alberta Legislative Building it was the setting for the Massachusetts State House. Apparently, along with the latter’s signature golden dome, it was added later.

This article originally appeared on British GQ