BOTW: The Best Views For Every Region in Hyrule

Scenery so beautiful, it'll take your breath away.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is widely regarded as one of the best video games ever made — and for good reason. Its innovative mechanics, immersive gameplay and sheer replay value are just a few reasons as to why we still laud this masterwork of gaming even five years later. At release, the Nintendo Switch was pushed to the very limit of its graphical capabilities to provide us with some of the most persistently beautiful open-world environments in gaming history.

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Every region brims with a distinct attention to detail, each oozing with its own deep sense of beckoning mystery. Although this game is already chock-full of breathtaking scenery, here are just a few of the best views we could find throughout Hyrule, and how to find them for yourself.

Nestled on a rocky cliff side just below the contrastingly chilly Gerudo Highlands, you can find a gorgeous view of the expansive Gerudo Desert. Featuring shifting sands and scorching heat that’ll have you tearing off your equipment, this stretch of no-man's land will challenge the hero's heat tolerance, threatening his health in the process.

Make sure to dress light or pack some potions to keep you cool before making your way up the jagged mountains to the north of Gerudo Town. The nearby Gerudo Tower offers a great vantage point that will make this view easier to get to, so we recommend scaling it first if you haven't already. Once you’ve found the spot, set up a cozy campfire and rest til morning — there's nothing quite like watching the sun slowly rise and shine over the looming Gerudo Desert.

Down under the Faron region's Floria Bridge is an array of thick tree roots where you can comfortably sit back and enjoy the section's unique tropical atmosphere with no shortage of majestic waterfalls to ogle at. Spitting distance from the neighboring Lakeside Stable, this intimate locale overlooks a pair of small waterfalls that pour in from Corta Lake, which you can access with ease thanks to the nimble Zora armor.

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Due to the nature of this region's humid, rainy climate, it can often be difficult to enjoy the natural beauty of Hyrule's tropics since the air is typically dense with a steamy fog that rolls over the land. For this reason, the area is at its best when explored around mid-day, when it is least likely to rain and the sun is most likely to shine. Watch your step when seeking this one out, or you’ll accidentally find yourself going for a swim in Lake Floria!

Being one of the first regions you're likely to explore, Necluda is home to all sorts of interesting and noteworthy points of interest designed to keep us engaged with Hyrule's Calamity-stricken world long after we escape the Great Plateau.

Among its countless other marvelous sights is a small cliff found at the base of Hateno Tower, where heroes can take in Necluda's vast, rolling hills and spectacular mountains, including the hallowed Mount Lanayru. Since this landmark is a quick hop and a skip from the game's opening section and follows the main quest's natural path of exploration, new and old players alike will have no trouble locating one of Breath of the Wild's best early-game landscapes.

Near the peak of Mount Lanayru rests the Spring of Wisdom, a revered domain which overflows with a sense of peace and natural grace. Its tall, elegant ice structures rise high into the sky like skyscrapers, much like the grand towers that line Hyrule Castle, and also protect the rumored treasure within.

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It's a long trek up one of Breath of the Wild's snowiest, and tallest, mountains, so you may want to bring some spicy food and a warm set of clothes to fend against the bitter cold. If you manage to reach the spring, you can turn around and see the surrounding mountain range as well as most of the southern side of Hyrule. Climb a little further behind the colossal crystals that conceal the spring and you’ll find Lanayru's peak, giving you an impressive bird's eye view of the land in every direction.

The vibrant reds, yellows and greens of the Akkala region's seemingly endless fall are best appreciated from one of the lovely flower beds just outside the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab. An area absolutely teeming with flora and fauna, animals and rare insects are constantly roaming its wide, open sea of green at all times of day.

Although it stands out among the game's smallest regions, this little slice of Hyrule is rich with hidden lore and secrets, featuring one of Breath of the Wild's most memorable side quests people don't tend to know about. So, if you are on your way to Robbie's to bag yourself some ancient gear, be sure to take a good look around and bask in the enchanting allure of Akkala.

A familiar sight for those who’ve braved the fiery trip up the path to Goron City, the town entrance gives the hero the chance to see Death Mountain in its full glory. The massive volcano's radiating heat and wisps of ash and flame flutter about in the air, constantly reminding our fabled hero of the dangerous temperatures he must endure in order to succeed in his quest.

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The town itself is a true diamond in the rough, populated with the series’ most delightful denizens who love nothing more than mining ore and eating rocks for every meal. Fans who want the best possible view of the menacing mountain should look for the metal slab with a white target painted on it at the village entrance — you can't miss it. Just don't forget to guzzle a couple of Fireproof Elixirs beforehand, lest you or your precious gear catch fire on the way there.

High in the Hebra Mountains above Rito Village is a snowy little vista that watches over the white-capped peaks and fields of the western corner of Hyrule. Come ready with your warmest doublet and a comfy pair of snow boots, because you will surely need them if you expect to survive the bone-chilling journey ahead. Start traveling around noon so you can arrive by sundown — the golden hour is the prime time to revel in this view.

Beside two twin flagpoles only a few paces north from Selmie's Spot, you can soak in the picturesque Hebra snowscape and, on your way out, impress Selmie with your Shield Surfing prowess as you hang ten down the mountain for a pretty rupee or two.

In all of Central Hyrule, could there ever be a better view than the omnipresent Hyrule Castle? After spending an innumerable amount of hours scouring the land with the castle always within our view, finally being able to stand in front of its glorious, albeit imposing, figure is a sight unlike any other Breath of the Wild has to offer. Arriving on a blood moon? Forget about it.

It goes without saying, but if you want a chance at seeing this fabled fortress up close, you’re going to have to come prepared. Guardians will be waiting to zap you at every turn, so simply storming the castle's gates may not be a viable strategy. If you’re eager enough, however, there is plenty of coverage within the ruins of Castle Town that will allow you to sneak in mostly undetected.

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Moses is an enthusiastic freelance writer and journalist from NYC. He spent the majority of his college career in the newsroom, where he honed his writing and copyediting skills crafting weekly news articles for his university's newspaper, The Racquette. As a writer and storyteller, he carries a deep appreciation for video games with fun, believable characters and a well-written story. After starting his journey writing in-depth reviews for Indie Story Games, Moses is now always searching for new and inventive ways to share his profound admiration for video games with the world.