With a total of nine unique holds within Skyrim, there are endless threats that the Dragonborn must face in day-to-day life. Each hold has its own feel and own set of exciting new locations to explore, and with those new locations come new waves of powerful enemies.

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A simple cave or fort can look unsuspecting at first, but it's important to remember that some of these locations are much more dangerous than they initially appear. These places can seem simple but end up directing the Dragonborn toward a path filled with enemies getting increasingly stronger the deeper they wander. Here are the most dangerous locations in each of the nine Skyrim holds, ranked in level of difficulty.

9 (Eastmarch) Cronvangr Cave: Vampire and Spider Hangout

Skyrim Cronvangr Cave Map Location And Scenery

In the quiet hold of Eastmarch, this cave may look unsuspecting at first glance. However, upon approaching the cave, it's apparent danger lies ahead just from the sheer number of surrounding webs and hatched spider eggs.

For those with arachnophobia or just hate any "creepy crawlies", Cronvangr Cave is a particularly threatening place to explore. Not only is this cave crawling with tons of frostbite spiders ready to attack from left and right, but it's also home to a few powerful vampires as well. If that wasn't enough, this cave then leads to another sublocation, called "Cronvangr Broodlair" which hosts a final giant frostbite spider (accompanied by some friends) to be the cave's last boss.

8 (The Reach) Liar's Retreat: Falmer Takeover

Skyrim Liar's Retreat Map Location And Entrance

Liar's Retreat may not seem like a big challenge at first, but to newcomers, it can be quite dangerous. What initially appears as just another run-of-the-mill bandit hideout is actually a Falmer lair. It's apparent that the bandits that once resided there were then overrun by Falmer that made their way in to ambush them; and where there are Falmer there are often other creatures present as well. The rest of the hideout is then riddled with chaurus, chaurus reapers, and even frostbite spiders.

As if the Falmer weren't enough of a surprise, upon leaving the hideout, it's possible the Dragonborn is then ambushed once again by returning bandits that assumed it was the Dragonborn that was responsible for the fall of their fort.

7 (The Pale) Shrouded Grove: Unsuspecting Spriggan Den

Skyrim Shrouded Grove Cave

The less fantasy-based enemies in the game are a bit easier to deal with when compared to enormous dragons or powerful vampires, so the angry bears found around Shrouded Grove can be taken care of without a second thought. But once inside Shrouded Grove Cave, a much more powerful enemy awaits the Dragonborn: the Spriggan.

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Depending on the player's level, the Spriggan that spawns inside this cave can be as powerful as a Spriggan Matron or even a Spirggan Earth Mother. Most players already find themselves struggling to handle a normal Spriggan so it's no wonder why this particular location can be so treacherous.

6 (Falkreath) Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary: Elite Enemy Hideout

Skyrim Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary Front Door And Members

Falkreath is, for the most part, a quiet hold within Skyrim; almost a bit bleak in comparison to the others. But don't be fooled so quickly, within Falkreath lies the headquarters for one of the most notorious organizations within all of Skyrim, the Dark Brotherhood.

Needless to say, it's an incredibly difficult task to infiltrate a base filled with the best assassins in Skyrim. In fact, this area can't even be accessed without first being contacted by the Dark Brotherhood themselves. The Dragonborn can either accept their invite and be let in without hassle or decide to reject their request and kill their leader instead. After ridding of their leader, Astrid, the sanctuary then can be infiltrated at the player's own risk.

5 (Haafingar) Thalmor Embassy: Diplomatic Impunity

Skyrim Thalmor Embassy And Thalmor Soldiers

Every diehard Skyrim fan can likely recall the stressful main quest involving the notorious Thalmor Embassy. At only one point in the game is this ornate estate actually accessible, and that is during the unforgettable quest "Diplomatic Immunity". Although this particular location is locked out for most of the game, it's definitely one of the most dangerous places to be caught wandering around in Skyrim.

The Thalmor aren't a group anyone wants as an enemy; they harbor powerful soldiers and wizards that are even more fearsome. The "Diplomatic Immunity" quest not only forces the Dragonborn to infiltrate the Thalmor Embassy, but it also requires them to do it stealthily; making taking out any stronger enemies even more difficult. Even outside of that quest, crossing paths with any Thalmor around or outside the embassy can lead to an incredibly perilous battle.

4 (Winterhold) Sightless Pit: Endless Enemies

Skyrim Sightless Pit

Perhaps Falmer aren't enough to deter some brave adventurers; sure they can be tricky but so long as they are handled one by one, it's easy enough. Sightless Pit is a cave that not only houses an incredibly large Falmer settlement inside, it also then slowly leads the Dragonborn into a dangerous Dwemer ruin. At this point not only does the Dragonborn need to worry about enemies like chaurus or frostbite spiders, but they also have to worry about accidentally triggering any traps when searching for any valuable loot as well.

3 (Whiterun) Shimmermist Cave: Baby's First Centurion

Skyrim Shimmermist Cave Grotto And Falmer

Shimmermist Cave may seem relatively easy at first; even for a beginner, it's very possible to best the Falmer inside. However, it's within its sublocation inside, "Shimmermist Grotto" where the true challenge lies. The Whiterun hold is many players' first place of exploration after completing the opening stages of the main storyline. Among all the bandits, it can be easy for the Dragonborn to think of themselves as invincible in early levels.

However, for any lower-level players wandering around Whiterun for the first time, this first encounter with a Dwarven Centurion can be quite an unpleasant surprise. This particular battle is dependent on the player's level, but nonetheless, this final enemy, accompanied by a Falmer henchman, can be a challenging surprise to even the most experienced players.

2 (The Rift) Forelhost: Dragon Priest Burial Site

Skyrim Forelhost And Dragon Priest Rahgot

Forelhost is yet another Nordic tomb that feels like a never-ending maze; with three sublocations inside, Forelhost is far from beginner-friendly. Once past the few skeevers roaming around, the Dragonborn is then forced to face off against dragon cultists and various kinds of draugr; including the very powerful variant: Death Overlords.

If this sounds too cumbersome to venture through, it's important to know that the loot found in this tomb is especially valuable as a dragon priest mask is found in Forelhost as well (that is, if the player manages to best Dragon Priest Rahgot first).

1 (Hjaalmarch) Labyrinthian: Draugr & Dragon Filled Mazes

Skyrim Labyrinthian Map Location And Scenery

Labyrinthian easily makes a name for itself as one of the most dangerous places in Skyrim purely due to its sheer size. Labyrinthian can easily mean a troublesome game over to any players that aren't adept in healing spells since it's a truly long journey to make. Venturing through Labyrinthian without being equipped with any useful healing spells can quickly exhaust any bag of potions or stash of food the Dragonborn brought along for extra health.

Guarded by frost trolls, Labyrinthian includes three sublocations within itself, forcing the Dragonborn to face off against the likes of a skeletal dragon, hoards of draugr, a dragon priest, and even a member of the Thalmor!

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