Hobbiton

Who hasn't heard of the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films? Even those who have neither seen them nor read the books will almost certainly have come across them. That the trilogies were filmed in New Zealand — home of director Peter Jackson and now the home of Middle-earth — is hardly surprising. The country's diverse landscapes provided a unique backdrop for one of the greatest film projects of all time. Today, Lord of the Rings fans can experience some of the filming locations of Tolkien's Middle-earth up close and immerse themselves in another world — including Hobbiton in the Shire.

A Sheep Farm in New Zealand

Hobbiton in the Shire really does exist! The enchanted little village with its 44 hobbit holes is set on the Alexander family's sheep farm near Matamata. Gently rolling green hills and stunning views of the Kaimai Range define the Waikato region on New Zealand's North Island. Smoking chimneys, bluebells, the clattering water mill, the stone bridge and the large macrocarpa tree at the centre of the farm transport visitors straight into Tolkien's fantasy world and make the film set feel completely authentic.

Hobbiton in Middle-earth — Tours of the Film Set

Hobbiton Movie Set Tours depart from the Shires Rest Café, where you'll also find a car park and a souvenir shop. A bus takes you across the lush green sheep pastures to the film set, which can be explored with a guide. Your guide introduces you to the story of Hobbiton and shares all kinds of fascinating facts about the filming. A tour lasts around 90 minutes, leaving plenty of time to snap a photo or two in front of the hobbit holes. How about a picture outside Bag End (Bilbo's house), on the bridge, beneath the famous Party Tree or at the Green Dragon Inn? The latter, by the way, is fully functional — so you can enjoy a cool Hobbit beer, a tasty cider or homemade food along with the rustic atmosphere. The hobbit holes themselves, however, are only façades. The interior scenes were filmed at the Jackson Studios in Wellington.

New Zealand: A Must for Lord of the Rings Fans

The Lord of the Rings films were shot at more than 150 different locations across New Zealand. While the volcanic region around Mount Ruapehu, for example, was transformed into Mordor, the gentle hills of Matamata became Hobbiton. Queenstown, New Zealand's adventure capital, also served as a backdrop for numerous scenes.

The story goes that Peter Jackson was flying over the Alexander family's farm while searching for a suitable filming location and was instantly convinced: this is Hobbiton. The infrastructure needed for filming — roads and film sets — was built, and the gentle rolling landscape around the farm was transformed into Hobbiton. Once the trilogy had wrapped, the demolition crews moved in to restore everything to its original state. Heavy rainfall, however, forced the work to be halted, and the first Lord of the Rings devotees began arriving to visit the remains of the film set. It was only two years later that the first guided tours for tourists were offered on the site. In 2011, Peter Jackson returned. Hobbiton was completely rebuilt for the filming of the Hobbit trilogy. This time, however, durable materials were used so that the film set could be opened to visitors once shooting was complete. At the end of 2012, the Green Dragon Inn opened its doors and has been serving delicious Hobbit drinks ever since.

By car

Matamata is roughly 170 kilometres (two and a half hours) from Auckland and around 70 kilometres from Rotorua. Starting from Auckland, follow SH1 to Tirau, then turn left onto SH27 and follow the road to your destination.

By public transport

Hamilton Airport, roughly 40 kilometres (30 minutes by car) from Matamata, is served by several domestic airlines. In addition, long-distance buses run daily to Matamata from Rotorua, Auckland and Hamilton, among other cities.