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Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade movie cover Movie Locations Guide

Where Was Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Filmed

1989

City Locations

Jordan, Spain, U.K., Italy

Location Types

American, NatureScapes, Clubs/Bars

Location Styles

Americana/Anywhere America, Bohemian, Bungalow

About Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

This guide to Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade filming locations contains spoilers of the film. The film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is part of the famous Indiana Jones film franchise. Indiana Jones goes on a journey to rescue his father from the Nazis who kidnapped him. Henry Jones, Indiana’s dad, is suspected to know something about the Holy Grail, the Nazis want it to give them an advantage during World War II, which rages in the background of the film. On the mission to rescue his father and find the grail, Indy is joined by Marcus Brody. It is Walter Donovan who first tells Indy about his father’s disappearance and joins him in searching for Henry. The group ends up in Venice, where they find one of the brothers meant to protect the Holy Grail, Dr. Elsa Schneider, and Henry’s partner. They take Henry’s diary and use it to keep looking for him. They are quickly confronted by a group claiming to keep anyone from being able to find the grail.

Indy does find his father, and he joins the group as they try to track down the Holy Grail before the Nazis are able to. He has to sneak into Castle Brunwald in order to rescue his father in the first place. Indiana has to dress as a Scottish lord in order to get inside, only his father hit him with a vase, mistaking Indiana for a Nazi captor. It is revealed that Donovan and Else are working for the Nazis, using Indiana and his father to lead them to the grail. Father and son manage to escape through a zeppelin and biplane, before continuing after the grail.

Once at the Canyon of the Crescent Moon, Indiana, his father, and Brody realize Nazis are already swarming the home of the Holy Grail. It takes an intense fight for Indiana and his group to get into the temple, and they find that Elsa and Donovan are already there. It takes three obstacles to reach the grail, and Indiana goes through them after his father is shot in the stomach by Donovan. Drinking water from the grail will save Henry’s life. Indiana does complete the challenges but has to choose the right grail. Donovan also finishes the challenges and ends up choosing the wrong grail, dying painfully. Indiana saves his dad, and they flee the temple before it collapses.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Locations

Indiana Jones And the Last Crusade, the third Indiana Jones film, was filmed in six countries, and many of the locations can still be visited by fans today. The movie was filmed in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Jordan, and Italy. Shots of Istanbul, Turkey can be seen shortly in the distance of a few scenes. The city of Venice was used as a filming location, including the city’s library. Petra in Jordan was used for the temple at the end of the movie. Opening shots of the desert were filmed in the U.S. at Utah’s Arches National Park. However, most of the other desert shots were filmed in Spain’s Tabernas Desert. Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural, also found in Spain, was used for the beach scenes in the movie.

The Bürresheim Castle in Germany was used for the exterior shots of the castle where Henry Jones is being held. A studio in the U.K. was utilized for interior shots. The United States and the United Kingdom were used for various exterior and interior shots in the movie. Indiana Jones And the Last Crusade is a movie full of stunning images and visuals, with beautiful backdrops and locations that are still standing. Beautiful locations used in this film can be found in six different countries.

Infiltrating the Nazi castle scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Bürresheim Castle, Sankt Johann, Germany

When Indiana finds where his father is being held, it ends up being a German castle. The exterior shots for this scene utilized the Bürresheim Castle found in Germany. However, interior scenes of the rescue were filmed at a studio in the United Kingdom. One of the funniest scenes of Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade came when Indy sneaks into the castle disguised as a Lord, quickly slipping into the room where his father is. Henry Jones promptly hits his son over the head with a vase, thinking him to be one of the captors that kidnapped him. The vase is from the 14th century Ming Dynasty, and once Henry sees it is his son, he becomes more concerned that the vase has been damaged. Henry Jones, played by Sean Connery, is a distant father to his son, and this is the first scene of the movie to show that.

When Henry is talking about the broken vase he exclaims, “Oh it breaks the heart.”

Indiana responds to his father's comment, saying, “And the head. You hit me, dad!”

Henry continues to talk about the broken vase, claiming he will never forgive himself for breaking it. However, he then realizes it was fake the whole time.

“Thank God! It’s fake. See you can tell with the cross sections.”

Motorcycle escape scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Mt. Tamalpais State Park, California

Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade is full of action scenes. There are plenty of chase sequences, including the well-known motorcycle chase that comes after Indy breaks his father free from the castle. Indiana is driving the motorcycle while his dad sits in the sidecar, and Nazis chase them on their own motorcycles. Henry is disheveled by his son’s driving throughout the entire chase sequence, but Indy is actually having fun.

During the chase Henry yells for his son to stop the bike, and when he does he tells Indy, “You're going the wrong way! We have to get to Berlin!”

Indiana tries to tell his father they don’t need to go to Berlin, where Henry’s diary is, but Henry states the need it.

Indy asks his father, “Half the German army's on our tail and you want me to go to Berlin? Into the lion's den?”

And his father’s response is a simple, “Yes.”

This iconic chase scene was filmed in California at the Mt. Talpais State Park, which still sees daily visitors.

Henry Jones thinks his son is dead scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Almeria, Spain

At the end of the movie, Indy faces off with the Nazi Vogel on top of a tank that is driving straight toward a cliff. When the tank goes over the edge, Vogel falls to his death, and for a few seconds, it is believed that Indiana died with him. This is one of the more emotional scenes of Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, as Henry believes that his son is dead.

Henry delivers the line, “I lost him, and I never told him anything.”

It does not take long for Indy to climb back up, and the group realizes he is still alive. Henry hugs his son, in one of the most emotional moments that the two characters share in the movie.

Henry tells Indiana, “I thought I’d lost you, boy.”

The tank chase scene, and the following moments where Indy is thought to be dead, were filmed in Almeria, Spain.

Donovan chooses the wrong Grail scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Petra, Jordan

After Indiana Jones completes the three challenges to get to the Holy Grail, he then needs to choose the right grail to drink from. Donovan finishes the challenges shortly after Indy, and rushes into the room with the grails. Donovan does not take long to choose one to drink out of, but he does not choose correctly.

After drinking from his Grail, Donovan says, “This is indeed the cup of the King of Kings. What's happening to me?”

Donovan ages quickly over the span of a few seconds and turns to dust.

The Grail Knight then says, “He chose... poorly.”

After Donovan has died, Indy chooses the right Grail and is able to save his father who has been shot in the stomach.

The exterior shots of the Holy Grail Temple were filmed in Petra, Jordan. However, interior scenes of the temple were filmed in London, England at Elstree Studios.

Flying and crashing a biplane scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Majocar, Spain

Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade is full of chase scenes, involving multiple types of vehicles. One such scene involves Indiana and Henry Jones escaping from Vogul on a biplane. When the plane first takes off, Henry is first excited by his son’s flying abilities.

Henry says, “I didn't know you could fly a plane.”

Indy’s response to his father is, “Fly -- yes. Land -- no.”

An enemy plane is in pursuit of them, leading to a fight in the sky where Henry shoots the tail fin of their own plane.

Henry exclaims, “We’ve been hit!”

Since Indy does not know how to land a biplane, the father and son have to crash land on a beach. Henry manages to scare a group of seagulls into the cockpit of the Nazi biplane, which causes it to crash.

The action scenes featuring the plane chase were filmed in Majocar, Spain at an abandoned airfield.

Boat chase in Venice scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Venice, Italy

One of the best scenes in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade is the boat chase scene through the canals of Venice. These scenes were actually filmed in Italy, in the Grand Canal and Doge Palace. It is one of the best action scenes in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade and considered one of the best chase sequences in the entire franchise. Indy is chased by assassins who are not meant to let anyone find the Holy Grail. After a perilous chase, Indiana uses a large boat propeller to interrogate one of the assassins about the location of the Grail.

The assassin exclaims, “If you don't let go Dr. Jones, we'll both die!”

Indy tells the man, “Then we’ll die!”

The boat is continuing to be chopped up by the propeller as Indy interrogates the assassin, but he doesn’t reveal much.

He tells Indy, “My soul is prepared! How's yours?”

Conclusion

Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade hit theatres in 1989 and was directed and produced by Steven Spielberg. It starred Harrison Ford and Sean Connery and is one of the most beloved additions to the Indiana Jones franchise. The movie follows Indy as he rescues his father and hunts for the Holy Grail before it can be stolen by Vogul and the Nazis. They plan to use the Grail for evil purposes, and Indy must stop them. The film is packed full of action scenes, funny lines, and emotional moments between father and son. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was filmed across six different countries, at beautiful landmarks that can be visited by fans today. The movie is considered one of the top adventure films of all time.