27 Lord Of The Rings Filming Locations And What They Look Like In Real Life
They do look like they're not of this world.
More than 20 years after The Fellowship of the Ring hit theaters, the landscapes of Middle-earth still hold up surprisingly well.
Part of the magic of the films came from the real New Zealand locations that stood in for hobbit holes, mountain passes, battlefields, and royal cities. Some scenes were enhanced with effects, but many of the backdrops were already stunning on their own.
Here are 27 Lord of the Rings filming locations and what they look like in real life.
1. Bag End (Hobbiton movie set)
This location is well-known to fans of the series because this is where we see Gandalf arriving at Bilbo Baggins' home, Bag End.
The exterior that people see today was rebuilt for the Hobbit trilogy at the Hobbiton Movie Set near Matamata. The interior shots for Bag End, however, were filmed in a studio in Wellington.
Tom Bos,Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.2. Rivendell (Kaitoke Regional Park)
The original arch was removed after filming, but later, Weta Workshop placed an arch in the same architectural style at the exact same location.
Tom Bos,Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.3. Nen Hithoel (North Mavora Lake)
At the end of the first film, the Fellowship comes ashore with the Elven boats after passing the Argonath. Then, after the breaking of the Fellowship, Sam and Frodo continue their journey to Mordor by crossing the lake.
All these scenes were filmed around North Mavora Lake.
Tom Bos,Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
4. Edoras (Mount Sunday)
Mount Sunday was a remote location, and it took several months for the crew to build this huge set in the second photo. In the photo, we see the scene where Éowyn sees Gandalf, Legolas, and Gimli arriving on horseback from her perch on Meduseld.
Tom Bos,Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
5. Argonath (Kawarau River)
This is where the Anduin River was set, and the screenshot here features the moment just before the Fellowship sees the two Pillars of the Kings guarding the river. A river trip is needed to reach the exact spot.
Tom Bos,Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
6. Pelennor Fields (Twizel)
The plains near Twizel were where the scene in which Gandalf rescues the riders from the winged Nazgûl was filmed.
Tom Bos,Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
7. Pelennor Fields (Twizel)
The fields were also where Théoden gave his speech before the Rohirrim charged into battle.
Tom Bos,Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
The scenery keeps getting bigger and more dramatic from here.
8. Get Off The Road! (Mt. Victoria)
In this scene, Frodo senses the Nazgûl approaching. The spot where he's standing is also very close to where the Hobbits hid under the roots of a tree.
The tree they hid under, however, was made for the film and was removed after filming. Everything was filmed at Mount Victoria, near Wellington.
Tom Bos,Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
9. Emyn Muil (Whakapapa)
In the opening scene of The Two Towers, Frodo and Sam are climbing a rocky mountain. That exact spot is just to the right of Meads Wall.
Tom Bos,Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
10. Gandalf Calls Shadowfax (Mavora Lakes Rd.)
The scene where Gandalf the White calls Shadowfax was filmed at the same location where Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli found the burnt Orc mound.
Tom Bos,Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc
11. Hobbiton (Hobbiton movie set)
When Gandalf arrives in Hobbiton, there are several shots of different hobbits doing chores around the community. This was all filmed at the Hobbiton movie set.
Tom Bos,Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
12. Minas Tirith (Mount Cook National Park)
The mountain range of Mount Cook was used as the background for Minas Tirith, and it can be clearly seen in The Return of the King when Gandalf and Pippin ride to the capital of Gondor.
The battlegrounds around Minas Tirith were filmed near Twizel.
Tom Bos,Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
13. Pelennor Fields (Mount Cook National Park)
In the scene where Legolas shoots down an Oliphaunt, a slope in Mount Cook National Park can be seen in the background.
Tom Bos,Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc
Some of these spots look almost unchanged in real life.
This feels like Hidden Corners Of The World You’ve Probably Never Heard Of, where surprise locations wait around unexpected bends.
14. The Green Dragon (Hobbiton movie set)
The Green Dragon can first be seen when Gandalf and Frodo pass it in Gandalf's cart in the first film.
Tom Bos,Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
15. Hobbiton (Hobbiton movie set)
This particular hobbit hole appears when Mr. Proudfoot sees the four Hobbits returning to the Shire.
Tom Bos,Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
16. Helm's Deep (Erewhon Station)
The location for Helm's Deep was near Mount Sunday, and it was superimposed onto this part of the mountain range.
Tom Bos,Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
17. Rohirrim Village (Poolburn Reservoir)
This is the spot where the Orc attack on the Rohirrim Village was filmed. Nearby, the scenes where Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli were chasing the Uruk-hai that were taking Pippin and Merry to Saruman were also filmed.
Tom Bos,Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
18. Gollum Goes Fishing (Mangawhero Falls)
The scene where Gollum was chasing a fish in the river was filmed at these falls. They are located on the slopes of Mount Ruapehu, where other scenes were filmed.
Tom Bos,Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
19. Ithilien - Oliphaunts (Twelve Mile Delta)
The Twelve Mile Delta near Queenstown was where the scene when Sam and Gollum spot two Oliphaunts was filmed. Nearby, the preceding scene in which the two argue about how to prepare coneys for a meal was also filmed.
Tom Bos,Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
By now, the locations are starting to feel like a real travel bucket list.
20. Sandyman's Old Mill (Hobbiton movie set)
Gandalf and Frodo pass by Sandyman's Old Mill while in Gandalf's cart.
Tom Bos,Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
21. Isengard (Near Glenorchy)
Isengard was superimposed onto this landscape.
Tom Bos,Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
22. Samwise Gamgee's Home (Hobbiton movie set)
The final scene of the trilogy ends with Sam returning to Hobbiton and reuniting with his family. In the final shot, the camera zooms in on his yellow door.
Tom Bos,Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
23. Orc Mound (Mavora Lakes Rd.)
The area where Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli find the burnt Orcs and Uruk-hai that had been carrying Pippin and Merry was not far from North Mavora Lake.
Tom Bos,Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
24. The Green Dragon (Hobbiton movie set)
The interior of The Green Dragon was filmed in a studio in Wellington, and a fully functional replica has been built at the Hobbiton Movie Set.
Tom Bos,Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
25. Dunharrow (Mt. Victoria)
The Rohirrim camp at Dunharrow was set up at the former quarry at the top end of Ellice Street in Wellington.
Tom Bos,Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
26. Rohirrim refugees (Deer Park Heights)
Deer Park Heights was the location for the scene where Rohan refugees travel to Helm's Deep. It was also where their battle with the Wargs and Orcs was filmed.
Tom Bos,Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
27. The Battle of the Last Alliance (Whakapapa)
Whakapapa was the backdrop for the scene where Gil-galad was fighting Orcs in the Battle of the Last Alliance, which can be seen in the prologue of The Fellowship of the Ring.
Tom Bos,Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc
These places still look like they belong in Middle-earth.
Which one would you visit first?
Want more cinematic transformations like Tom Dobinson turning everyday streets into movie scenes, check out 62 Photos That Turn Everyday Places Into Something Unforgettable.
