# The Tolkien Tour



## James the Just (Feb 10, 2022)

Why look at scenery from New Zealand in a movie when you can see the real places where the events in the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings actually took place? Since the Fall of Barad-dûr on March 13, 4502 BC, much has changed. Yet the haunting beauty still remains. We'll be following in the footsteps of the original adventurers on the European Union Long Distance Paths. You must supply your own horse or pony. Feel free to ask any and all questions about when and where in Middle-earth things happened, etc.


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## Annatar (Feb 25, 2022)

A very good idea. Do you have more descriptions or photos? What is the key for the "E"-roads?

An inspiration for the landscapes of Eriador and probably Beleriand could perhaps also be found in such chillout videos:


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## James the Just (Apr 16, 2022)

Sorry I took so long to respond. I had no idea anyone posted a reply to this thread. I gave up looking after about a week. 
I'm not sure what you mean by a key to the E-roads. They are the European long distance paths.








E-paths - European Ramblers Association


E-paths connect Europe via the long distance hiking trails and routes.



www.era-ewv-ferp.org




I have lots and lots of details; so much so that it would many pages. We can always start at the beginning if you would like.

A letter from Tolkien:

The action of the story takes place in the North-west of ‘Middle-earth’, equivalent in latitude to the coastlands of Europe and the north shores of the Mediterranean…. If Hobbiton and Rivendell are taken (as intended) to be at about the latitude of Oxford, then Minas Tirith, 600 miles south, is at about the latitude of Florence. The Mouths of Anduin and the ancient city of Pelargir are at about the latitude of ancient Troy (Letters, no. 294 from March 1968).

If Hobbiton is in Oxford then Bywater is around the Wittenham Clumps.

Very puffed he was, when he got to Bywater just on the stroke of eleven, and found he had come without a pocket-hankerchief!


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## Annatar (Apr 19, 2022)

James the Just said:


> I have lots and lots of details; so much so that it would many pages. We can always start at the beginning if you would like.


Yes, feel free to continue.

From my point of view, however, it is important that altitudes and latitudes seem to play a certain role for Tolkien, but are not consistent throughout with the real Europe, even if his inspiration clearly came from there. So, on the whole, it probably fits pretty well in terms of landscape, climate, cultures, etc., but there are definitely some differences in the details.

For example, I had already posted this rough but still quite accurate overview in another thread:



https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/Middle-earth%27s_Geographic_Influences.svg



I suspect, for example, that most big Middle-earth mountains were inspired by his hikes in the Swiss mountains around the Lauterbrunnental (cf. Loudwater/_Bruinen)_ and Matterhorn (twin of Erebor).

Tolkien had most experience with high mountains in the Alps, and with lower mountains probably more in the foothills of the Alps and in Wales or towards Scotland. In addition, perhaps a few inspirations from his Icelandic au pair girl, especially to glaciers and volcanoes? An author from times before the Internet and before corresponding TV documentaries can ultimately only describe such landscapes realistically, which he has seen himself, and secondarily still reproduce or embellish stories of which he has heard of.


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## Annatar (Apr 19, 2022)

Annatar said:


> Lauterbrunnental





> Sister of Rivendell​FICTION – New Zealand? Whatever. The true home of the Hobbit:



Despite German headline, the following link should be in English - in any case you can choose the language in the menu.
It's about Rivendell and the Misty Mountains. For example, Silvertine was inspired by a peak from the Jungfraujoch.






Lauterbrunnen Valley - the true Hobbit home | Jungfrau Region


New Zealand, my arse! The true home of the hobbits lies between the sloping rock faces in Switzerland's Lauterbrunnen Valley. Find out more!




stories.jungfrauregion.swiss





I have already been there and can recommend it to anyone who is interested in Middle-earth, mountains and hiking...

The only 007 with George Lazenby also plays there. That Bond movie was actually pretty good (for the time).


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## Starbrow (Apr 19, 2022)

It looks fantastic. I would love to go there.


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## Elthir (Apr 21, 2022)

Starbrow said:


> I would love to go there.



I don't usually correct grammar, but I think proper English demands 
two tooz here . . .


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## Olorgando (Apr 21, 2022)

Elthir said:


> Starbrow said:
> 
> 
> > I would love to go there.
> ...


*OUCH! *😖

"to there", "got to there"???
So by analogy, one would also say "to here", as in "come to here" instead of "come here"?

Ah no, both grate horribly in my ears! 🥶

This smacks a bit of that idiocy of several years back, when an overreaction to the dialect - or perhaps slang - use of "me" in the nominative (or in English subjective?) case led to the equally incorrect use of "I" in the accusative (or in English objective?) by some semi-educated blockheads ... 🤬


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