Rivendell

So dear friends, 

after the last two posts were filled with LOTR and The Hobbit content, I thought to myself, all good things come in threes - so today there is another post. However, this time it’s less about the Hobbits and more about the Elves, and also a bit about the Wizards, as today I will tell you about my visit to Rivendell and the gardens of Isengard. 

After my visit to the WETA Workshops, the next morning I continued heading north to the gardens of Isengard, which are located in a park in the town of Upper Hut. Adjacent to the park there is also a campsite, where I made myself comfortable. Unfortunately, it rained quite a bit that day, so I kept my little walk through the park relatively short. The scene where Gandalf and Saruman talk to each other was filmed in this park, as Gandalf seeks help from the wisest of wizards. The park itself is pretty but not particularly spectacular. 

From this garden, I continued the next day towards Rivendell. On the way there, I stopped again, but the views weren't that good, so I'm not sharing any pictures here. 

But when I arrived at my destination, it was simply wonderful, as I had planned an exploration tour in Rivendell for this day. An Elven place in Middle-earth, which indeed has its own street sign. 

At this place, the film sequences in Rivendell, an Elvish settlement in Middle-earth, were filmed. In general, the film crew had to replace all the plants they took from the ground with the exact same type of plants. In Rivendell, the crew took a lot of plants to make room for the Elven houses and the props for the set. However, there was one thing they could and did not want to remove - the large trees. These trees were then used in the shots as landmarks. After filming, the plants were reseeded or replanted, and since this has been over 20 years ago, not much of the original location is recognizable anymore, as nature has claimed this place back. But the trees have remained, and with the help of some signs, travelers can orient themselves with these trees and also reenact some of the scenes or recognize them from the signs. 

I was standing by one of these signs when a couple from Canada and their private LOTR guide joined us. After I listened attentively, the guide asked me if I'd like to join for the rest of the tour and listen in. And I couldn't miss such an opportunity, so I joined the small group for the next 20 minutes. 

The only set that stands in this place is a replica, placed here for tourists after the films. This is the entrance gate to Rivendell, where the scene was filmed when the Fellowship embarks on their dangerous journey to Mordor. Additionally, it is also where the various envoys arrive in Rivendell to participate in the secret meeting. 

I separated from the group here and took some time to reenact the scene right at this gate and take some photos. 

After that, I slowly made my way back to the parking lot, and here I found a suspension bridge. Curiously as I am, I ventured into a new adventure and just walked into the blue. And in the blue, I found a circular path with informative signs about the trees and the forest in general. 

Also a few very, very large trees. After my visit to the trees, I then continued back towards the coast and to another filming location of The Lord of the Rings, as well as another wonderful natural spectacle in New Zealand. More on that in my next post. 

Yours, Britta