The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Skyrim Travel

Welcome to Skyrim! The northern most province of the land of Tamriel! One of Nirn’s last, untamed frontiers! We understand that your head may be spinning at the prospect of just where you will go on your vacation. But we here at Dovah Enterprises' want to help you not only enjoy your visit to Skyrim, but also assist you in surviving its numerous dangers.

Every aspiring client of Dovah Enterprises may technically be a tourist, but we also believe them to be amateur adventurers! Every adventurer not only receives a pamphlet of Dovah Enterprises top places to see in Skyrim, but also a complimentary set of iron armor with a rare enchantment of health regeneration, which will allow you to survive the endless onslaught of danger!

The College of Winterhold
Pass through the hallowed halls of Skyrim’s last remaining intellectual institutions of arcane knowledge. The massive stone figure that is the College sits perfectly atop a plateau, casting an ominous shadow across the tiny village of Winterhold since the massive catastrophe known as the Great Collapse.

While much of Winterhold fell into the sea, leaving very little amenities for would-be adventurers, the College alone is enough for many. It contains many talented mages from across the different schools of magic, along with a magnificent view of the frozen sea. There’s also the mysterious Midden, which allows users to summon daedra, should they wish to.

Liar’s Retreat
This non-descript cave was home to a small band of bandits, complete with a fully furnished bar. Of course, it has now been invaded by an entire gang of burrowing falmer, who proceeded to lay waste to every bandit, man or mer.

While we only recommend exploring this location with our experienced combat specialists, fearless wanderers will discover the intricate cave system the falmer used before breaking in, with frostbite spider crypts and a sacrificial altar.

Bonestrewn Crest
This eerie hill can be found within the badlands of the hold of Eastmarch near a giant’s camp. Despite the life giving warmth of the many hotsprings dotting the landscape, Bonestrewn Crest was given its name for obvious reasons, as numerous bones, including mammoth skeletons litter this ominous location.

Adventurers should be wary as many times you will have to choose between sudden dragons attacks and crossing the path of dangerous giants. If you’re lucky, this area is one of the best places to witness a giant fight against a dragon.

High Hrothgar and the Throat of the World
No trip to Skyrim is complete without traversing the 7,000 steps leading to High Hrothgar. Home to the elusive but respected Greybeards, High Hrothgar is the highest a mortal man can go to touch the auroras of the sky in the presence of the masters of the voice.

However, if you are in the company of a Dragonborn or an especially generous Greybeard, you may be permitted to journey to the Throat of the World, the highest point in all of Skyrim. Only a master of the voice can clear the inhospitable chill winds that adorn the highest cliffs but those who venture to the very top will be greeted by a view that is nearly impossible to find anywhere else.

Solitude
Denizens of urbanized cities will find themselves right at home in Solitude. Home of one of the largest trading ports in Skyrim, the East Empire Trading Company, Solitude is home to one of the few, if not only, major city skylines. With a huge castle wall surrounding the city and the majestic Blue Palace standing at the end of beautiful arch overstretching the port, Solitude is as much a sight to see from a distance as the view from it.

Solitude’s rustic stone built homes are a sight to behold but also expensive for the average Nord citizen. Solitude is also home to the Bard’s College, for aspiring traveler’s and singers to join. For a taste of Imperial life in Skyrim, Solitude is your ticket.

Blackreach
Dwemer ruins dot Skyrim’s landscape like beautiful jewels, simply begging to be explored by spelunkers to loot their precious metals and artifacts. But none are quite like the cavernous region known as Blackreach. This epic undercity can be found through a handful of dwemer lifts like Aftland and Mzark.

Blackreach is home to many amazing sights such as giant glowing mushrooms, the City of Silence, and the research outpost of the late Sinderion, the foremost expert of nirnroot from Cyrodiil. You’ll find many patches of rare crimson nirnroot adorning the cave, as well as hostile dwemer centurions and falmer.

Labyrinthian
While most dungeons consist of architecture that has one distinct maze of winding tunnels and death traps, Labyrinthian is a humongous structure that consists of multiple dungeons, as well as a multitude of sub-levels that seemingly go on forever. This ancient maze was all constructed by one man: former Arch-Mage Shalidor.

Labyrinthian is also notable for housing one of eight of Skyrim’s rare but dangerous dragon priests. Restricted by two enthralled mages in the deepest depths behind the Ceremonial Door is Morokei, master of lightning spells. Brave mages should know that his mask confers rapid magicka regeneration should you wear it.

Dragonsreach
The palace of the Jarl of Whiterun is not only an ornately designed castle with the real skull of a dragon decorating the throne room but also a real working dragon trap, used to cage in unsuspecting dragons.

The dragon trapping rig is quite large and secured in the large balcony area in the back of Dragonsreach, which also provides a breathtaking view of the Whiterun Hold’s large green fields. Visitor’s should also remember to pay court wizard Faragar Secret-Fire a visit as he stocks a reliable cache of magical items at all times for aspiring mages.

Dragon Bridge
There are few architecturally amazing landmarks in Skyrim, as most points of interest are a result of nature’s grand work. But the namesake of Dragon Bridge village is an impressive work of Nord know how and myth.

Stretching over the canyon of the Karth river, the bridge of Dragon Bridge is a fine work of stone with an detailed carving of a dragon’s head directly in the center, letting it gaze of the canyon with the utmost dignity. While Dragon Bridge itself is a rather small village, seeing the bridge can be worth the hike. It is also home to the only outpost to the emperor’s personal guard, the Penitus Oculatus.

The Chill
Not all prisons are worth noting as most are simply dungeons located in the city’s castle. The Chill is unique in that it functions as Winterhold’s prison. As we’ve stated previously, the town of Winterhold is rather small so there isn’t much to see besides the College. Therefore, the College assists in public order with their own prison creation called The Chill.

Unlike most other prisons, inmates thrown into the The Chill are incarcerated with all their belongings. Also unlike most other prisons, the guards are actually imposing frost atronachs. While one can easily keep their lockpicks on their person to escape the cage, escaping the cave with watchful frost atronachs guarding the exit is a different story altogether. The Chill is a fascinating location of both law and magic.

Please understand that Skyrim is a lively and bustling land, filled with many, many more mysteries and undocumented adventures. Places we haven't even mentioned include the mysterious Dark Brotherhood sanctuaries, Bard's Leap Redoubt, and the city built upon a dwemer ruin, Markarth! We hope you can find even more fun that we simply do not have space to show you and sincerely hope you enjoy your stay in Skyrim!

This story was also contributed to Nerdvice