Where was Spectre filmed?

New James Bond film Spectre has broken box office records and is the biggest UK cinema release of all time, with one of the best opening scenes of a Bond movie and taking audiences to exciting new destinations - but where exactly was Spectre filmed?

See also: James Bond-inspired holidays in Spectre locations

We take a look at the spectacular film locations and some behind-the-scenes secrets of Spectre...

Mexico City, Mexico

A cryptic message from the past first sends James Bond on a rogue mission to Mexico City during the Day of the Dead celebrations. Using 1,520 extras, the filmmakers shot the scenes in three different locations in the city — The Gran Hotel, Plaza Tolsá and the Zócalo, which is the main square in the centre of town. The massive explosion involving the hotel was replicated at Pinewood Studios in England, although the Zócalo itself played host to a huge sequence involving an out-of-control helicopter piloted by world-famous Red Bull aerobatic pilot Chuck Aaron.

See also: Top Rome holidays near Spectre locations

Due to the altitude in Mexico City, Aaron was limited in the aerobatics he could perform. However, he still pushed the boundaries, flying just 30 feet above the extras with two stuntmen re-enacting the fight while hanging out of the helicopter.

Spectre's special effects supervisor Chris Corbould said: "Everything is based in reality. In Mexico City, you can see thousands of people in the Zócalo responding to this amazing helicopter sequence unfolding in the sky above them."

Austria

There is more airborne action in Austria, where the filmmakers worked in Lake Altaussee, Obertilliach and Sölden, the latter being the home of the ICE-Q restaurant and the cable cars that feature in a tense sequence with Q.

The ski resort of Sölden in the Ötztal valley of Tyrol provided a complete mix of everything needed for a main action scene: one of the highest mountain roads in the Alps, a mountain lift station that looks like curved ribs of steel and a design restaurant in the shape of a giant ice cube.

Village resort Obertilliach, located in East Tyrol, also played a leading action role in Spectre, where a traditional mountain hut became the focus of an incredible explosion. The so-called Bond House, named by the locals, originally came from neighbouring region Styria and was re-assembled on the slopes of the Golzentipp ski area for the film.

Rome, Italy

In Rome, the filmmakers shot for four days at the Museo della Civiltà Romana, which doubled as a cemetery where Bond first sees widow Lucia. The amazing night-time car chase sequence of Bond in his Aston Martin DB10 and Hinx in a Jaguar C-X75 racing through the city streets took 18 nights to film.

Stunt coordinator Gary Powell said: "In Rome we saw a load of roads we liked and sometimes the road is specific to a stunt because it had a feature which would be really nice to jump."

Filmmakers shut down key portions of the city, including a section alongside the Tiber, looking towards St. Peter's Square and the Coliseum. Though the audience only ever see two cars on screen, a total of eight Aston Martins and seven Jaguars were used to shoot the chase in Rome.

Morocco

The most punishing Spectre location was Morocco. Here the main team filmed in Tangier and Erfoud, and scenes were also shot in the city of Oujda in the northeast of the country. While the cities were pleasant places to work, the Sahara outside Erfoud was more challenging.

When out in the desert, the filmmakers had to make sure that everyone within a 20-mile radius knew to expect loud explosions and drove out to speak to villagers and the nomad tribes. Local nomads were hired as guides and security throughout prep and filming.

To make things even more of a challenge, a huge sand storm blew in on the first day of filming in Erfoud and there was no visibility. The crew had to take cover in their vehicles as winds reached 50mph. The temperature in Erfoud was an average of 45C and reached 50C on the hottest day.

England, UK

Back in England, key external film locations included City Hall, the home of the Mayor and London Assembly - which appears as the Centre for National Security - as well as a number of bridges along the River Thames. Westminster Bridge, in particular, plays a pivotal role in the climax and a section of this was built at Pinewood.

For each of the six night shoots, the filmmakers had to seek the support of the Port of London Authority.

"The biggest challenge, however, was to light the river at night," explained supervising locations manager Emma Pill. "This involved weeks of preparation. We lit under each arch of Vauxhall, Lambeth and Westminster Bridge - 17 arches in total.

"We lit the river from 10 rooftops along the bank of the Thames from Vauxhall Bridge to Hungerford Bridge, working with Lambeth Palace, Tate Britain, and the Royal Parks to gain permission. We also worked very closely with the House of Commons, County Hall and the London Eye to keep various lights on/off, or to change the colour of their lights for each night-shoot."

%VIRTUAL-TripAdvisorWidget%