In no time, it will be 20 years since the premiere of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy , and that deserves to visit again its most emblematic places , where you can feel like another protagonist of the saga.
When The Fellowship of the Ring premiered during Christmas 2001, few of us thought you could catch the magic of a fantasy world famous for being one of those stories impossible to adapt into a movie.
But Peter Jackson surpassed himself and perfectly recreated all those distant and fantastic lands that were in the imaginations of those of us who read the books in the saga.
New Zealand was truly Middle Earth and these are some of its most recognizable settings .
1. The Shire
What about the place we’ve all wanted to live in since it first appeared in The Fellowship of the Ring ?
The Shire, home to the hobbits , is a placid green paradise of gentle hills and hobbit holes cut into the rock with a circular wooden door and roofs that grow grass.
This enclave, located in the Mighty Waikato region, is so iconic, that it has been preserved and you can visit the set of the movies, where you will feel exactly like another inhabitant of Hobbiton .
2. Rivendel, natural park
Few things more representative in The Lord of the Rings than Rivendell, home of the elves led by Elrond and an enclave protected by magic and the mighty river Bruinen.
Rivendell is located in the Kaitoke Regional Park, just 45 minutes from the city of Wellington. There we can enjoy spectacular lushness, rivers and ideal routes for camping or riding on horseback, along trails surrounded by wild nature. If you go, it will still seem that you are going to be ambushed by elves that you will not hear until you are in front of you.
3. El Monte del Destino, a volcano that is still active
If you travel to the North Island of New Zealand, you will be able to see a familiar profile on the horizon, that of the sinister Mount of Destiny, site of the destruction of the One Ring.
Mount Ngauruhoe is an active volcano that first erupted 2,500 years ago and is the youngest mouth of the area’s volcanic complex, called Tongariro.
In fact, if we want to emulate Frodo and Sam, climbing this mountain is a common activity. In addition, in that area of Tongariro other scenes from Mordor and even the Lonely Mountain from The Hobbit trilogy were also filmed.
4. Lothlorien, lakes and forests near Queenstown
On the shores of Lake Wakatipu, in the South Island, are the places in which the scenes of Lothlorien were set, home of the Sindarin elves (those of Legolas) under the leadership of Galadriel and Celeborn.
Queenstown is an area full of postcard scenery. In fact, scenes of Isengard were shot there in the fields of Glenorchy as well, and you can go rafting in the Anduin River canyon , where the mighty Argonaths are located. Of course, you will not see the Pillars of the Kings , because the statues were made with CGI.
5. Gondor, the Twizel countryside and a French castle
If you want to visit Gondor and tour the battlefield of Pelennor, you will have to go to Twizel, a town on the South Island surrounded by the places that lent its image to Gondor and were the scene of the decisive battle for Minas Tirith.
Of course, the city seen in all its splendor was a miniature and, if you want to see the place where they were inspired to do it, you will have to visit something closer, France. The legendary castle of Mont Saint-Michel , located on an island in Normandy that can be reached on foot at low tide, was the model for the design of the legendary capital.
Because it may be 20 years since The Lord of the Rings , but its most iconic places have left an indelible mark.