Elden Ring Map Location: Where To Find Your First Map Fragment

gamespot.com:

Elden Ring is an huge open-world game, far beyond the scale we typically associate with From Software, and you can visit a huge portion of it right from the start. That also means it's very easy to get lost, but you can piece togetherMap Fragments to discover locations in advance and even pin points of interest to the map. Of course, finding all of that can be a daunting task, especially in the beginning of the game while you're still trying to get your bearings. You'll pick up Map Fragments as you journey, slowly revealing the secrets of the Lands Between.

At first, your map looks like a blurry mess, but finding your very first Map Fragment will fill in a large area with significantly more detail and provide you with a better understanding of your surroundings. Once you can see where to go more clearly, you'll have a much easier time seeking out notable points of interest and making use of map markers.

The West Limgrave Map Fragment rests at the base of a tall stone slab called a Guide Stele located at the north side of the Gateside Ruins. While getting to the ruins is very easy, you may find surviving the encounters there a bit challenging so early in your journey.

To find the Gateside Ruins, head northeast from the Site of Grace located where you emerge from the tutorial into Limgrave. As you follow the road in that direction, you'll pass through a forest and emerge on the other side with the large encampment in front of you. It's home to a handful of cool items--including the first Map Fragment--and a hell of a lot of bad guys.

In order to be able to comfortably explore this camp, you'll want to clear it of soldiers first. To do so could be a bit of an undertaking if you haven't leveled up any yet, but it's doable.