No, it isn't a galaxy far, far away, although the climactic scene of The Force Awakens, most recent movie in the Star Wars franchise, was filmed on a rather remote Irish island with a name like a sci-fi planet: Skellig Michael. The craggy island rises from the buffeting Atlantic waves and is World Heritage listed for its ancient monastic cells, which resemble giant beehives made of stone. See ireland.com

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC

Prague's Gothic and baroque alleyways were most atmospherically portrayed in Amadeus, but you have to be a clever cinemagoer to link this versatile city to its many silver-screen outings. It stood in for Vienna in Amadeus, Paris in Les Miserables, and became both Venice and London in Casino Royale. Its castle was tarted up as the Kremlin for Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and Buckingham Palace for Shanghai Knights. See prague.eu

HUANGSHAN, CHINA

Think the landscapes of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon are mythical? Not so. Some of the movie was filmed in Huangshan (Yellow Mountain), its twisted pine trees, wreathes of mist and strange rock formations all providing a ready-made backdrop for this gorgeous martial-arts epic. Nearby Hongcun village and its surrounding bamboo groves, scene of the flying fight scenes, featured too. Huangshan also stood in for Pandora in Avatar. See english.ah.gov.cn

LONDON, BRITAIN

London is Potterhead heaven, starting with platform 9¾ at King's Cross Station – look for half a luggage trolley disappearing into the wall. Diagon Alley is Leadenhall Market and Gringott's Bank is none other than Australia House. Half-Blood Prince opens with the pedestrian Millennium Bridge collapsing into the Thames, and Piccadilly Circus appears in Deathly Hallows. The play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is currently running at the London Theatre. See visitlondon.com

MONUMENT VALLEY, US

Movie buffs of a certain age might recall The Magnificent Seven (1960), the best of dozens of westerns to showcase this desert landscape's red buttes, which have also graced Forrest Gump and Thelma & Louise. The opening scene of Mission: Impossible II shows Tom Cruise climbing the spectacular rock columns. Transformers: Age of Extinction is one of the latest movies to return to this classic landscape. See navajonationparks.org

ALBERTA, CANADA

In The Revenant, Leonardo DiCaprio's character is supposed to be mauled by a bear and survive a wilderness trek in South Dakota, but it's the landscapes of Alberta (and especially Kananaskis County and the Bow Valley) that provide magnificent backdrops for this critically acclaimed tale. Alberta's Rocky Mountains also steal the show in movies such as Unforgiven, Brokeback Mountain and Interstellar, often standing in for American locations. See travelalberta.com

SILVERTON, AUSTRALIA

Sadly, Namibia replaced the outback in the recent Mad Max: Fury Road, but the landscapes around Silverton in NSW featured prominently in Mad Max 2. Silverton has a museum crammed with Mad Max cars, props and costumes, and a pub whose walls are draped in further memorabilia. A Town Like Alice and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert are among other movies filmed in Australia's most evocative celluloid setting. See silverton.org.au

INTERLAKEN, SWITZERLAND

The Alps were once a classic James Bond backdrop, but 20 years ago one of the most successful Indian movies ever, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge​, skyrocketed Switzerland to the exotic locale of choice for Bollywood's steamy romances and improbable dance routines. The mountains around Interlaken are particularly favoured. Bond and Bollywood come together atop the Jungfrau in The Hero: Love Story of a Spy. Cue gunfire and music. See interlaken.ch

SALZBURG, AUSTRIA

One of the most beloved feel-good movies of all time, The Sound of Music, was shot on location in 1965 and has been luring prancing, guitar-strumming visitors to Salzburg ever since. Little seems to have changed, from Mirabell Gardens (on whose steps you can warble Do-Re-Mi) to the Felsenreitschule theatre and Schloss Leopoldskron on the lake, which supplied the exterior and gardens of the von Trapp residence. See salzburg.info

PETRA, JORDAN

It might be another oldie, but it's too much of a goodie to ignore: the 1989 action flick Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade concludes in spectacular scenes featuring the ancient desert ruins at Petra, where the archaeologist (played by Harrison Ford) finds the Temple of the Holy Grail, actually the site's famous rock-carved Treasury. The Mummy Returns and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen were also shot here. See visitjordan.com

Brian Johnston has travelled as a guest of tourist offices or tour companies in many of these destinations.