Fans of Tolkien’s work would no doubt recognize the pretty village of County in the Hobbiton area. But how many of them know that before it became a set and home for many hobbits, this place was actually a sheep farm?
Hobbiton materializes the picturesque nature of the County – part of the Middle Earth invented by the writer JRR Tolkien. Moreover, this place is located in New Zealand – where most of the scenes in the films “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” are shot and where is actually the birthplace of director Peter Jackson. However, GPS is needed to get to the farm, as there are no signs or signs to make it easier for visitors – the farm is located in the fields of the New Zealand province, cut off from the modern world.
Since 2002 the place is open for tourist walks and attracts visitors from all over the world, which, however, does not interfere with the main activity of the farm. Most of the entrances to the hobbit homes are fenced off, so access is limited, but one of the holes is open to those who want to take a closer look at what a hobbit’s home looks like live. There are specially trained guides to guide tourists around and show them where some of the most famous and memorable scenes in the movies were shot. A tour with a personal guide costs 750 New Zealand dollars (or 492 US dollars). Even the Green Dragon Pub has been open to visitors since 2012 and guests can enjoy some drinks. Inside, everything is exactly the same as what viewers saw on the big screen simply because it was one of the set.