It's almost been a full year since the much-anticipated Skyrim was finally released to audiences worldwide, and this legendary game is still making the rounds to this day as one of the greatest video games of all time. The story of the Dragonborn ends up being a wild and lengthy adventure as players traverse the massive land of Skyrim and fight against Alduin, the World Eater.
Of course... there's a substantial portion of the fanbase that would be more than happy to ignore this main quest in order to traverse the vast lands of Skyrim and look at the stunning locales of this seminal open-world title. Keeping this in mind, here are ten of the most picturesque locations in Skyrim that are an absolute joy to behold firsthand.
10 Blackreach
Entering Blackreach for the first time is nothing short of an absolute treat, serving as a way to travel to three ancient Dwemer cities present across Skyrim.
This underground cavern features massive luminescent mushrooms that end up giving this area an otherworldly feel that will stick with fans long after they're finished exploring this gorgeous area.
9 Eldergleam Sanctuary
Players will fondly look back on the time when they happened upon Eldergleam Sanctuary for the first time and witnessed the sheer beauty of this area firsthand.
The Eldergleam Tree that's placed in the cave for everyone to see is easily the most notable highlight of this area and makes for one of the more beautiful backdrops to an area that is holy... and definitely looks the part as well.
8 Ancestor Glade
The Dawnguard expansion for Skyrim ends up adding a bunch of new and interesting locales to a world that is already populated enough as is. Out of all of these locales, one has to admit that the Ancestor Glade is perhaps the most beautifully designed of the bunch.
Entering this area is truly awe-inspiring, although players can definitely be perturbed during their enjoyment of the area by either the members of the Dawnguard or vampires, depending on which faction they ended up joining.
7 Guardian Stones
The Standing Stones present all across Skyrim can provide helpful boosts to the player, so it's only a given that they would want to make the most of the three structures that are present as a part of the Guardian Stones.
However, the player will soon realize that these three stones are the last thing they should be focusing on — rather, it's the beautiful location these Guardian Stones are placed in that makes this area such a highlight in Skyrim.
6 Bleak Falls Barrow
Out of all the Nordic tombs present across Skyrim, Bleak Falls Barrow is easily the most notable of the bunch, in no small part due to the hauntingly beautiful nature of this area.
While Draugr and other such enemies may prove to be rather annoying to deal with at times, there's no denying the fact that roaming in and around this area is a blast — both visually and otherwise.
5 Forgotten Vale
Dawnguard is full to the brim with some truly beautiful places to explore, but the Forgotten Vale ends up being notable even against all its competition due to the beautiful nature of the world design in this particular area.
A large glacial valley that is majestic in every sense of the world, people who've kitted out their copy of Skyrim with mods across the board will definitely be rewarded with a ton of stunning views and awe-inspiring vistas.
4 Winterhold
One can argue that Winterhold is easily the most well-designed city in Skyrim, with the layout and architecture of this city being nigh masterful in its application.
It certainly helps that this area houses the impressive College of Winterhold, which serves as the stage for the Mages' Guild sidequest in Skyrim... even though the names might be somewhat different.
3 Riverwood
Riverwood might be nothing more than a small village in the massive land of Skyrim, but one can't deny that roaming around this tranquil settlement is pretty entertaining in its own right.
The fact that it rests right on the mountainside of the Throat of the Word and has a river passing through it makes this area all the more interesting to explore, and it's no wonder why people end up wasting so much time in this area before proceeding onwards with the main quest.
2 Sovngarde
The idea of a Nordic Afterlife sounds rather odd... but Sovngarde manages to take things up a notch by not only making this area rather believable... but also extremely beautiful to behold as well.
No other place could've served as the battleground for the final battle, and the manner in which the Dragonborn finally takes down Alduin once and for all is epic for all the right reasons... including the arena where this ultimate duel is fought.
1 Shadowgreen Cavern
North of the city of Solitude, players can happen upon a cavern that looks quite innocuous at first glance... until they finally enter this area and witness the beauty that lies within firsthand.
The cavern almost feels like a portal to another dimension, given the incredible environments that the player will lay eyes upon after entering this place. The fact that all the enemies in this area also seem like creatures of the forest sell the idea of this place being a mystical otherworldly location in the world of Skyrim.