Girl Taken on Paramount+ is set in 'a quiet rural English town' but was actually filmed in 'stunning' European city
It's not filmed where you think!
Girl Taken has finally landed on Paramount+ and the stunning filming locations will leave you yearning for a mini-break. But it wasn’t filmed in the UK.
Despite being set here, the creepy twisted thriller was actually filmed in Europe, just a short flight away.
Like multiple thrillers in the past year or so, cast and crew filmed abroad rather than in the country the story was actually based in. In 2025, we saw The Couple Next Door set in Leeds, but actually filmed in Belgium.
Meanwhile, Robson Green thriller The Game was set in the fictional UK town of Ripton (North of England), but was actually made in San Sabastián, Spain.
So where was Girl Taken filmed? Here’s what we know about the filming locations used for the new Paramount+ thriller.
Where is Girl Taken set?
Girl Taken, based on the Hollie Overton book Baby Doll, is set in “a quiet rural English town” in the north of the country. In the series, the village where the sinister events take place is called Hollowfell, but it’s not a real place.
The six-part series follows the story of twin sisters Lily and Abby. Their seemingly perfect lives are shattered when 17-year-old Lily is abducted from their town. The culprit? Their beloved local teacher Rick Hansen, a beloved pillar of the community.
Tragically, Lily spends years of abuse in captivity, but eventually manages to escape after five years. She returns as a grown woman with a horrifying tale of abuse and terror whilst locked in a cellar. However, she discovers that freedom brings its own challenges… And her nightmare is far from over.
Girl Taken filming locations
Paramount+ thriller Girl Taken was – like The Game – filmed in and around the beautiful coastal city of San Sabastián, in Spain. Specifically, the Basque region of northern Spain on the Bay of Biscay.
San Sebastián, known as Donostia to the locals, is known for its beautiful crescent-shaped bay called La Concha. It’s also famous for its food, culture, and buzzing nightlife.
The Urumea River flows through the city, and empties into the Cantabrian Sea, featuring iconic bridges like the Santa Catalina and Maria Cristina. It originates in Navarre, flows through the city, and continues on through the stunning forests around the city. Urumea literally means “transparent waters” in Basque.
And San Sabastián is very much a Basque city. The Basque region incorporates four provinces in northern Spain and another three in south west France. The main cities in Spain are Bilbao, San Sebastián, Vitoria-Gasteiz and Pamplona in Navarre. They even have their own language, but also speak the more commonly used Castilian. The Basque region is known for his lush, mountainous surroundings. The verdant landscapes is mostly down to the heavy rainfall in the area, as Girl Taken viewers will see in episode 1 of the series!
Understandably, it’s a popular European resort for tourists. And it’s just under a two-hour flight from the UK. Although you can fly directly to San Sebastián, the more common route is to fly to Bilbao – a much bigger airport with more flight options – which is an hour bus or taxi ride away.
Spain’s famous Basque region steals the limelight
Much of Girl Taken is centred around the forests in which Lily manages to escape her captor. In fact, San Sebastián is surrounded by lush, forested mountains. Nearby natural park Aralar is famous for its vast beech forests, while Pagoeta offers extensive hiking trails through oak and ash woodlands.
Gorbeia Natural Park – and the magical Otzarreta Forest within it – is a little further afield, but is also renowned for its stunning beech forests. It’s also famous for its ancient trees, streams, and hiking trails. The city of San Sebastián itself features urban forests like Ametzagaina Park.
Girl Taken was specifically filmed around a street called Alibarra Kalea. It’s a street located in Vitoria-Gasteiz, which is actually largely known as an industrial estate known for businesses, truck stops, and parking.
Vitoria-Gasteiz is the capital of northern Spain, known for its Gothic-style architecture. It’s about 100k away from San Sebastián, and about an hour’s drive.
Spain poses as UK in Girl Taken filming locations
Not everyone was convinced by the balmy weather and Spanish-style buildings posing as rural England.
One viewer blasted: “This is ridiculous. It was clearly filmed in Spain, look at those buildings! It doesn’t look like England at all!”
Another said: “Yet another British series filmed abroad. Why are they insulting our intelligence?”
A third simply exclaimed: “Rural England? Yeah, right!”
