It wouldn’t be Elden Ring if there weren’t a thousand vast, sprawling hidden areas only unlockable through some esoteric combination of actions. Large swaths of the Shadow of the Erdtree map fall into this category, including the elusive Hinterlands, where Queen Marika was born.

Whether you’re looking to progress Ymir’s Erdtree questline or you’re just a Marika fan who wants to do some sightseeing, you’ll nonetheless want to head to the Hinterlands. This northeastern portion of the Realm of Shadow is stunningly picturesque, but you’ll need to jump through a few hoops before you get there.