Switzerland and Tolkien's Middle-Earth: A Fateful Journey

In 1911, a young man went on a trip - his first trip outside England - across the Swiss Alps. What he saw and experienced left a deep impression - one that surfaced later in his book «The Hobbit» and the trilogy about «The Lord of the Rings». After the Peter Jackson blockbusters, New Zealand comes to mind. However, Tolkien's letters and other sources clearly show us how profoundly the majestic landscape he encountered served as a powerful inspiration for much of the fantasy landscapes in his books. Rivendell of the elves? Look at Lauterbrunnental in the Bernese Oberland. Moria of the dwarves? Aareschlucht. Misty Mountains? All around. The Three Peaks? Eiger, Mönch, Jungfrau... And the dangers: The small group of Brits (amongst them Tolkien's adventurous aunt) met with avalanches and landslides and a massive thunderstorm, so neither Tolkien's nor the Hobbits' journeys were a walk in the park! We shall have a close look at the many ways that Swiss trip in what Tolkien called his «annus mirabilis» 1911 shaped the creation of Middle-Earth - with hiking tipps into the bargain! Level C1