Lauterbrunnen Valley in the Swiss Alps
© Leonid Andronov/Getty Image
Tolkien’s Rivendell inspiration. Lauterbrunnen Valley in the Swiss Alps
For Tolkien Reading Day, we’re visiting the Lauterbrunnen Valley in the Swiss Alps, which is believed to have inspired the Elven sanctuary of Rivendell in J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit.’ Like Tolkien's mythical Elf settlement, Lauterbrunnen Valley has a bit of storybook appeal, with an unusually narrow valley floor hemmed in by steep Alpine cliffs and dotted with numerous waterfalls. The valley remains a popular tourist destination.
The Tolkien Society organised the first Tolkien Reading Day in 2003 to celebrate and promote his works. They selected March 25 as it is the day that the Dark Lord Sauron was defeated, and the Black Tower was destroyed in 'The Lord of the Rings.' Tolkien’s writing continues to provide fodder to various entertainment forms, with Amazon’s ‘Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ debuting in 2022.
Related Images
Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, China
Mua Caves in the Ninh Bình province of Vietnam
Mount Rainier National Park in Washington state, USA
For Waitangi Day, the Pancake Rocks on New Zealand’s South Island
Coast redwoods in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, California
An old farm in the Shetland Islands, Scotland
Hope Valley, Peak District, England
At the top of Mount Fuji in Japan. Happy New Year!
Bing Today Images
