travel middle earth

See Paths Where Others See Obstacles

Founded and run by travellers... middle earth travel specializes in trekking, biking and special interest holidays which turn into unique traveling experiences. whether you choose one of our scheduled guided tours, a bespoke tailor made or self-guided tour, our carefully designed itineraries take you to special parts of turkey- from mountains, lakes and forests to undiscovered beaches and flower covered meadows. led by some of the best guides in turkey at an easy, natural pace; you'll find it easy to intermingle into the patterns of daily life, visualize the history of ancient civilizations and form close bonds with nature. we have a great variety of trekking, biking and climbing activities - from very mild to considerably tough which will appeal to everyone from beginners to very experienced trekkers., founded and run by travellers... middle earth travel specializes in trekking, biking and special interest holidays which turn into unique traveling experiences. read more, whether you choose one of our scheduled guided tours, a bespoke tailor made or self-guided tour, our carefully designed itineraries take you to special parts of turkey- from mountains, lakes and forests to undiscovered beaches and flower covered meadows. led by some of the best guides in turkey at an easy, natural pace; you'll find it easy to intermingle into the patterns of daily life, visualize the history of ancient civilizations and form close bonds with nature. we have a great variety of trekking, biking and climbing activities - from very mild to considerably tough which will appeal to everyone from beginners to very experienced trekkers., find your adventure, trekking tours, biking tours, hike & explore, cultural tours, family tours, mountain treks, photo tours, upcoming tours, hike with legends.

You will explore fairy chimneys, deep valleys, hidden rock-cut churches with wall paintings, tunnels, underground cities, mysterious rock dwellings and get a taste of the traditional life and cuisine of Turkey.

Ihlara Valley Exploration

A 13 km (10 mi) long gorge cut into volcanic rock . The only ever green place in whole Cappadocia. Halfway on the trail, at the base of the village of Belisirma, we will stop to enjoy lunch on the river. After lunch we continue along the more remote trails until we reach the village of Selime. This part of the walk looks significantly different as the gorge widens and many farmers use the lands for planting vegetables . if time allows we will be able to visit the breathtaking Selime monastery perched at the top of the valley.

Kaçkar Pasture Trek

This tour takes in the lower slopes of the Kaçkar and can already take place in July, the beginning of the trekking season in this mountainous region. It is relatively quiet and trekkers have a greater chance of observing wildlife than in the more crowded weeks of August. Wild flowers cover every slope and the snowmelt streams gush in every valley. This is a tour for those who don’t aspire to do the summit and prefer to stay in village houses and pensions. July and August are the best times to visit this heaven on Earth. We will walk from one mountain yayla (pasture) to the other and see glacial lakes, flowers and snowcapped peaks along the way.

Kaçkar Summit Trek

This one week hike crosses the high passes of the Kaçkar Mountain range from north to south, including an optional ascent to the peak of Kaçkar (H: 3937m). We stay in pensions in the local villages and camp in the high pastures for our summit ascent.

Lycian Way: Antalya - Kaş

This 14 day guided trek follows a large section of Turkey’s first ever long-distance footpath – the Lycian Way. The famous route snakes its way above the Mediterranean’s most dramatic coastline of 'the Land of Light' Lycia, to the limestone peaks of Mount Olympos, soaring high above the glittering sea. It descends through shady wooded valleys along a 4-km beach past the ruins of the Lycian city of Olympos to the spectacular isolated lighthouse on the ridge of Cape Gelidonya. The trek continues on coastal paths around the sheltered harbour and tiny islands of Simena and Kekova lagoon, famous for the underwater ruins of the Sunken City that can be visited by boat. We end the tour at the charming coastal town of Kaş with a day full of activities at sea.

Pirate Coast Trek

This challenging guided trek follows the highest and most rugged section of Turkey’s first ever long-distance footpath - the Lycian Way. The route winds up and down along the Mediterranean’s most dramatic coastline of Lycia, to the limestone peaks of Mount Olympos, soaring high above the glittering sea. It descends through shady wooded valleys along a 4-km beach past the ruins of the Lycian city of Olympos to finish at the spectacular isolated lighthouse on the ridge of Cape Gelidonya.

Seven Capes Trek

This exciting guided trek follows the prettiest parts of Turkey’s first ever long-distance footpath - the Lycian Way. The region south of Fethiye is known as the Seven Capes, a stunning coastline where steep promontories drop abruptly into the sea. The route meanders over bare hillsides and through scented pine forests overlooking the blue Mediterranean. We start in Kayaköy close to the famous white sands of Ölüdeniz lagoon and follow well-preserved foot paths to Faralya, Alınca and Yediburun enjoying the vast sea views from their elevated locations. In between, the route dips down to wonderful hidden beaches such as Kabak where sparkling waves lap smooth sands, idyllic places for a swim. The trek ends at the impressive ruins of Patara, one of the principal cities of ancient Lycia and located near one of the finest beaches of Turkey.

The Green Valleys of Cappadocia

The love valley gives you chance to have great shots of Cappadocia with small fields, lush vegetation and strange rock formations. Pigeon Valley is named for the many pigeon houses or dovecotes carved into the rocks and cliffs. Even though they are few pigeons only.

The Hobbit's Middle-earth: A Complete Travel Guide

05.12.2023 // By Tome Tailor

Welcome to Middle-earth, the fantastical realm brought to life through the vivid imagination of J.R.R. Tolkien! Tolkien’s world has enchanted readers and movie viewers alike, drawing us into the epic tales of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings series. Middle-earth offers breathtaking landscapes, magical creatures, and a rich history filled with adventure, lore, and wonder. In this comprehensive travel guide, we will take you on an unforgettable journey through the iconic regions of Middle-earth featured in The Hobbit .

Note: For the sake of this travel guide, we’ll be focusing on the locations mentioned in The Hobbit . For a complete Middle-earth experience, don’t forget to check out our guide to The Lord of the Rings trilogy as well!

Our journey begins in the verdant lands of The Shire, home of the Hobbits - a peaceful and happy folk who love their food, drink, and simple pleasures. The Shire embodies the idyllic rural life, filled with lush hills, fields, woodlands, and winding rivers. Hobbiton, one of the primary towns in The Shire, offers visitors a glimpse of the quaint Hobbit lifestyle, with their famous round doors and cozy, earth-embedded homes, called smials. Make sure to drop by the Green Dragon Inn, a popular local spot to savor some home-brewed ale and hearty meals while enjoying live music, gossip, and tales of adventure.

Next stop on our journey is Rivendell, the fabled elven refuge located in the hidden valley of Imladris. Known for its breathtaking beauty and timeless allure, Rivendell offers a sanctuary from the weariness and danger that can often accompany travel in Middle-earth. Its resplendent architecture, enchanting gardens, and the famous waterfall called the “Bridge of Rivendell” make this elven paradise an essential destination for any Middle-earth adventure.

The Misty Mountains

As we venture forth, we come across the towering peaks of the Misty Mountains. Stretching over a thousand miles, these formidable mountains are home to an array of dangerous and mysterious creatures - including goblins, wargs, eagles, and stone giants. Here, adventurers will encounter the infamous Goblin-town, where Bilbo Baggins meets Gollum and acquires the One Ring. If daring enough, visitors can journey through the hidden passage of the High Pass or the more treacherous (and less recommended) Redhorn Pass.

After the Misty Mountains, we plunge into the depths of Mirkwood - a dark and twisted forest once known as Greenwood the Great. Its once-beautiful trees and glades have been poisoned by evil, making it an eerie and perilous place to visit. As you traverse its shadowy paths filled with giant spiders and other dangerous creatures, be sure to stay on the Elvenpath to avoid becoming hopelessly lost. Dare to visit the Woodland Realm of the Silvan Elves, governed by the enigmatic Thranduil, and experience their unique culture while feasting on their exceptional wine.

The Lonely Mountain (Erebor)

Finally, our voyage leads us to the historical and awe-inspiring Lonely Mountain, or Erebor. Long ago, this once-great Dwarvish kingdom was seized by the terrifying dragon Smaug, and its immense hoard of gold has been the subject of many legends. Upon reaching its summit, you can explore the ruined halls and chambers of the once-magnificent dwarven palace. Be sure to visit the hidden door where Bilbo and the Dwarves entered the mountain, and catch a glimpse of the enormous dragon hoard and the breathtaking Arkenstone - the heart of the mountain.

As we conclude our journey through Middle-earth, we hope you’ve been inspired by the breathtaking landscapes, legendary history, and cultural depth that J.R.R. Tolkien crafted in his tales of The Hobbit .

Are you ready to embark on your own adventure through Middle-earth? Don’t miss the opportunity to delve deeper into this enchanting world by reading or listening to The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. Begin your adventure by purchasing the book here!

Happy travels!

Recommended Articles:

• The Ultimate Guide to The Hobbit: Exploring Tolkien’s World
• The Hobbit’s Legacy: How Tolkien Influenced Fantasy Literature
• 5 Unforgettable Books Like The Hobbit to Take You on an Adventure
• Decoding The Hobbit: Unraveling Tolkien’s Themes and Symbols

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Middle-earth

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This continent was north of the Hither Lands shown in the Ambarkanta , and west of the Eastern Sea ; and from the beginning of Arda to the end of the Second Age it underwent dramatic geographical changes, caused by Eru Ilúvatar , the Valar and Melkor .

• 2 The world
• 3 Cosmology
• 4 Geography
• 6 Languages
• 7 History of Middle-earth
• 8.1 Works by Tolkien
• 8.2 Works by others
• 11 Translations
• 12 External links

The term "Middle-earth" was not invented by J.R.R. Tolkien . Rather, it comes from Middle English middel-erde , itself a folk-etymology for the Old English word middangeard ( geard not meaning 'Earth', but rather 'enclosure' or 'place', thus 'yard', with the Old Norse word miðgarðr being a cognate). It is Germanic for what the Greeks called the οικουμένη ( oikoumenē ) or "the abiding place of men", the physical world as opposed to the unseen worlds ( The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien , 151). The word Mediterranean comes from two Latin stems, medi- , amidst, and terra , (earth/land), meaning "the sea placed at the middle of the Earth / amidst the lands".

Middangeard occurs six times in Beowulf , which Tolkien translated and on which he was arguably the world's foremost authority. (See also J.R.R. Tolkien for discussion of his inspirations and sources). See Midgard and Norse mythology for the older use.

Tolkien was also inspired by this fragment:

in the " Crist " poem by Cynewulf . The name earendel (which may mean the 'morning-star' but in some contexts was a name for Christ ) was the inspiration for Tolkien's mariner Eärendil .

"Middle-earth" was consciously used by Tolkien to place The Hobbit , The Lord of the Rings , The Silmarillion , and related writings.

Map of the Western part of Middle-earth at the end of the Third Age

Tolkien first used the term "Middle-earth" in the early 1930s in place of the earlier terms "Great Lands", "Outer Lands", and "Hither Lands" to describe the same region in his stories. "Middle-earth" is specifically intended to describe the lands east of the Great Sea ( Belegaer ), thus excluding Aman , but including Harad and other mortal lands not visited in Tolkien's stories. Many people apply the name to the entirety of Tolkien's world or exclusively to the lands described in The Hobbit , The Lord of the Rings , and The Silmarillion .

In ancient Germanic and mythology, the universe was believed to consist of multiple interconnected physical worlds (in Nordic mythology 9, in West Germanic and English mythology, 8). The world of Men , the Middle-earth, lay in the centre of this universe. The lands of Elves , gods, and Giants lay across an encircling sea. The land of the Dead lay beneath the Middle-earth. A rainbow bridge, Bifrost Bridge , extended from Middle-earth to Asgard across the sea. An outer sea encircled the seven other worlds ( Vanaheim , Asgard , Alfheim , Svartalfheim , Muspellheim , Niflheim , and Jotunheim ). In this conception, a "world" was more equivalent to a racial homeland than a physically separate world.

A speculative map of Arda before the end of the First Age, courtesy of the Encyclopedia of Arda

Tolkien stated that the geography of Middle-earth was intended to align with that of the real Earth in several particulars. ( Letter 294 ) Expanding upon this idea some suggest that if the map of Middle-earth is projected on our real Earth , and some of the most obvious climatological, botanical, and zoological similarities are aligned, the Hobbits ' Shire might lie in the temperate climate of England , Gondor might lie in the Mediterranean, Italy and Greece , Mordor in Sicily, South Gondor and Near Harad in the deserts of Northern Africa , Rhovanion in the forests of Germany and the steppes of Western and Southern Russia , and the Ice Bay of Forochel in the fjords of Norway . Far Harad may have corresponded with Southern Africa, and Rhûn corresponded with the whole of Asia. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are presented as Tolkien's retelling of events depicted in the Red Book of Westmarch , which was written by Bilbo Baggins , Frodo Baggins , and other Hobbits , and corrected and annotated by one or more Gondorian scholars. Years after publication, Tolkien 'postulated' in a letter that the action of the books takes place roughly 6,000 years ago, though he was not certain.

Tolkien wrote extensively about the linguistics, mythology and history of the world, which provide back-story for these stories. Many of these writings were edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher .

Notable among them is The Silmarillion , which provides a creation story and description of the cosmology which includes Middle-earth. The Silmarillion is the primary source of information about Valinor , Númenor , and other lands. Also notable are Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth and the multiple volumes of The History of Middle-earth , which includes many incomplete stories and essays as well as numerous drafts of Tolkien's Middle-earth mythology, from the earliest forms down through the last writings of his life.

The supreme deity of Arda is called Eru Ilúvatar . In the beginning, Ilúvatar created spirits named the Ainur and he taught them to make music. After the Ainur had become proficient in their skills, Ilúvatar commanded them to make a great music based on a theme of his own design. The most powerful Ainu, Melkor (later called Morgoth or "Dark Enemy" by the Elves), Tolkien's equivalent of Satan , disrupted the theme, and in response Ilúvatar introduced new themes that enhanced the music beyond the comprehension of the Ainur. The movements of their song laid the seeds of much of the history of the as yet unmade universe and the people who were to dwell therein.

A depiction of the initial geography of Eä

Then Ilúvatar stopped the music and he revealed its meaning to the Ainur through a Vision. Moved by the Vision, many of the Ainur felt a compelling urge to experience its events directly. Ilúvatar therefore created Eä , the universe itself, and some of the Ainur went down into the universe to share in its experience. But upon arriving in Eä, the Ainur found it was shapeless because they had entered at the beginning of Time. The Ainur undertook great labours in these unnamed "ages of the stars", in which they shaped the universe and filled it with many things far beyond the reach of Men. In time, however, the Ainur formed Arda, the abiding place of the Children of Ilúvatar , Elves and Men . The fifteen most powerful Ainur were called the Valar , of whom Melkor was the most powerful, but Manwë was the leader. The Valar settled in Arda to watch over it and help prepare it for the awakening of the Children.

Arda began as a single flat world, which the Valar gave light to through two immense Lamps . Melkor destroyed the lamps and brought darkness to the world. The Valar retreated to the extreme western regions of Arda, where they created the Two Trees of Valinor to give light to their new homeland, leaving Middle-earth in darkness After many ages, the Valar imprisoned Melkor to punish and rehabilitate him, and to protect the awakening Elves. But when Melkor was released he poisoned the Two Trees. The Valar took the last two living fruit of the Two Trees and used them to create the Moon and Sun , which remained a part of Arda but were separate from Ambar (the world).

Before the end of the Second Age , when the Men of Númenor rebelled against the Valar, Ilúvatar destroyed Númenor, separated Aman from the rest of Arda, and formed new lands, making the world round. Only Endor remained of the original world, and Endor had now become Eurasia.

An expanded, composite map of Middle-earth drawn by Christopher Tolkien

J.R.R. Tolkien never finalized the geography for the entire world associated with The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings . In The Shaping of Middle-earth , volume IV of The History of Middle-earth , Christopher Tolkien published several remarkable maps, of both the original flat earth and round world, which his father had created in the latter part of the 1930s. Karen Wynn Fonstad drew from these maps to develop detailed, but non-canonical, "whole world maps" reflecting a world consistent with the historical ages depicted in The Silmarillion , The Hobbit , and The Lord of the Rings .

Maps prepared by Christopher Tolkien and J.R.R. Tolkien for the world encompassing The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings were published as foldouts or illustrations in The Hobbit , The Lord of the Rings , and The Silmarillion . Early conceptions of the maps provided in The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings were included in several volumes, including "The First Silmarillion Map" in The Shaping of Middle-earth , "The First Map of the Lord of the Rings" in The Treason of Isengard , "The Second Map (West)" and "The Second Map (East)" in The War of the Ring , and "The Second Map of Middle-earth west of the Blue Mountains" (also known as "The Second Silmarillion Map") in The War of the Jewels .

Endor , the Quenya term for Middle-earth, was originally conceived of as conforming to a largely symmetrical scheme which was marred by Melkor. The symmetry was defined by two large sub-continents, one in the north and one in the south, with each of them boasting two long chains of mountains in the eastward and westward regions. The mountain chains were given names based on colours ( White Mountains , Blue Mountains , Grey Mountains , and Red Mountains ).

The various conflicts with Melkor resulted in the shapes of the lands being distorted. Originally, there was a single inland body of water, in the midst of which was set the island of Almaren where the Valar lived. When Melkor destroyed the lamps of the Valar which gave light to the world, two vast seas were created, but Almaren and its lake were destroyed. The northern sea became the Sea of Helcar (Helkar). The lands west of the Blue Mountains became Beleriand (meaning, "the land of Balar "). Melkor raised the Misty Mountains to impede the progress of the Vala Oromë as he hunted Melkor's beasts during the period of darkness prior to the awakening of the Elves.

Additional changes occurred when Valar assaulted Utumno in the Battle of the Powers . The North-west of Middle-earth, where Melkor met the Valar host, was "much broken". The sea between Middle-earth and Aman widened, with many bays created, including one which was the confluence of Sirion . The highland of Dorthonion and the mountains about Hithlum were also a result of the battles. Since the changes mentioned include both the beginning and the ending points of Sirion, it is possible the river itself was created at the same time.

The violent struggles during the War of Wrath between the Host of the Valar and the armies of Melkor at the end of the First Age brought about the destruction of Beleriand. It is also possible that during this time the inland sea of Helcar was drained.

The world, not including associated celestial bodies, was identified by Tolkien as " Ambar " in several texts, but also identified as "Imbar", the Habitation, in later post- Lord of the Rings texts. From the time of the destruction of the two lamps until the time of the Downfall of Númenor, Ambar was supposed to be a "flat world", in that its habitable land-masses were all arranged on one side of the world. His sketches show a disk-like face for the world which looked up to the stars. A western continent, Aman , was the home of the Valar (and the Eldar ). The middle lands, Endor, were called "Middle-earth" and were the site of most of Tolkien's stories. The eastern continent was not inhabited.

When Melkor poisoned the Two Trees of the Valar and fled from Aman back to Endor, the Valar created the Sun and the Moon , which were separate bodies (from Ambar) but still parts of Arda (the Realm of the Children of Ilúvatar ). A few years after publishing The Lord of the Rings , in a note associated with the unique narrative story Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth (which is said to occur in Beleriand during the War of the Great Jewels ), Tolkien equated Arda with the Solar System; because Arda by this point consisted of more than one heavenly body.

Map of Middle-earth in Peter Jackson's films

According to the accounts in both The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings , when Ar-Pharazôn invaded Aman to seize immortality from the Valar, they laid down their guardianship of the world and Eru Ilúvatar intervened, destroying Númenor , removing Aman "from the circles of the world", and reshaping Ambar into the round world of today. The Akallabêth says that the Númenóreans who survived the Downfall sailed as far west as they could in search of their ancient home, but their travels either brought them to new lands or back around the world back to their starting points. Hence, before the end of the Second Age , the transition from "flat earth" to "round earth" had been completed.

The Endor continent became approximately equivalent to the Eurasian land-mass, but Tolkien's geography does not provide any exact correlations between the narrative of The Lord of the Rings and Europe or near-by lands. It is therefore assumed that the reader understands the world underwent a subsequent undocumented transformation (which some people speculate Tolkien would have equated with the Biblical deluge) sometime after the end of the Third Age , or possibly at the Fall of Sauron at the end of the Third Age. Another explanation is that many places shifted location, the Misty Mountains moving North to Scandinavia, the White Mountains rotating to become the Alps and the mountains of the west Balkans, Near Harad moving south and west to become the Sahara, Eriador flooding to become northern France and the British Isles, and so on. This would not be the first time that this had happened, as it seems that a consequence from the Siege of Utumno was that Endor rotated eastward, its axis the north pole.

Template:See also

Middle-earth was home to several distinct intelligent species. First were the Ainur , angelic beings created by Ilúvatar. The Ainur sing for Ilúvatar, who created Eä to give existence to their music in the cosmological myth called the Ainulindalë , or "Music of the Ainur". Some of the Ainur then entered Eä, and the greatest of these were called the Valar . Melkor (later called Morgoth ), the chief personification of evil in Eä, was initially one of the Valar.

The other Ainur who entered Eä were called the Maiar . In the First Age the most active Maia was Melian , wife of the Elven King Thingol ; in the Third Age , during the War of the Ring , five of the Maiar were embodied and sent to Endor to help the free people to overthrow Sauron . Those are the Istari (or Wise Ones ) (called Wizards by Men), including Gandalf , Saruman , Radagast , Alatar and Pallando . There were also evil Maiar, called Umaiar, including the Balrogs and the second Dark Lord, Sauron.

Later come the Children of Ilúvatar : Elves and Men (Men awoke in the first year of the sun), intelligent beings created by Ilúvatar alone. The Silmarillion tells how Elves and Men awakened and spread through the world. The Dwarves were said to have been made by the Vala Aulë , who offered to destroy them when Ilúvatar confronted him. Ilúvatar forgave Aulë's transgression and adopted the Dwarves. Three tribes of Men who allied themselves with the Elves of Beleriand in the First Age were called the Edain .

As a reward for their loyalty and suffering in the Wars of Beleriand , the descendants of the Edain were given the island of Númenor to be their home. But as described in the section on Middle-earth's history , Númenor was eventually destroyed and a remnant of the Faithful Númenóreans established realms in the northern lands of Endor, Arnor and Gondor . They are then known as the Dúnedain , whereas other Númenórean survivors, still devoted to evil but living far to the south, become known as the Black Númenóreans .

Tolkien identified Hobbits as an offshoot of the race of Men. Although their origins and ancient history are not known, Tolkien implied that they settled in the Vales of Anduin early in the Third Age, but after a thousand years the Hobbits began migrating west over the Misty Mountains into Eriador . Eventually, many Hobbits settled in the Shire .

After they are granted true life by Ilúvatar, the Dwarves' creator Aulë laid them to sleep in hidden mountain locations. Ilúvatar awakened the Dwarves only after the Elves had awakened. The Dwarves spread throughout northern Endor and eventually found seven kingdoms. Two of these kingdoms, Nogrod and Belegost , befriend the Elves of Beleriand against Morgoth in the First Age. The greatest Dwarf kingdom was Khazad-dûm , later known as Moria.

The Ents , "shepherds of the trees", were created by Ilúvatar at the Vala Yavanna 's request to protect trees from the depredations of Elves, Dwarves, and Men.

Orcs and Trolls were evil creatures bred by Morgoth. They were not original creations, but rather, it is supposed, "mockeries" of Ents and the Children of Ilúvatar, since only Ilúvatar had the ability to create life anew. Orcs' and Trolls' origins are not solidified; Tolkien considered many possibilities, and frequently changed his mind.

Seemingly sapient animals also appear, such as the Great Eagles , Thrushes , Huan the Great Hound from Valinor , and the Wargs . The Eagles were created by Ilúvatar along with the Ents, but in general these animals' origins and nature are unclear. Some of them might be Maiar in animal form, or perhaps even the offspring of Maiar and normal animals.

It is unknown to what people of Middle-earth Tom Bombadil belonged. As to his nature, Tolkien himself said that some things should remain mysterious in any mythology, hidden even to its inventor.

Tolkien devised two predominant Elvish languages that would later be called Quenya , spoken by the Vanyar , Ñoldor , and some Teleri , and Sindarin , spoken by the Elves who stayed in Beleriand (see below). These languages were related, and a Common Eldarin form ancestral to them both is postulated.

Other languages of the world include:

• Adûnaic – spoken by the Númenóreans
• Black Speech – devised by Sauron for his slaves to speak
• Khuzdûl – spoken by the Dwarves
• Rohanese – spoken by the Rohirrim – represented in The Lord of the Rings by Old English
• Westron – the 'Common Speech' – represented by English
• Valarin – the language of the Ainur

History of Middle-earth

The history of Middle-earth is divided into three time periods, known as the Days before days , Years of the Trees , and Years of the Sun ; the last is typically sub-divided further into four Ages .

The Days before days began shortly after the Ainulindalë , when the Valar came into the world. At first, the Valar warred against Melkor , but after his defeat they finished their labours in shaping Arda. The Valar created two lamps to illuminate the world, and the Vala Aulë forged great towers, one in the furthest north, Helcar with the lamp Illuin , and another in the deepest south, Ringil with the lamp Ormal . The Valar lived in the middle, at the island of Almaren . Melkor 's destruction of the two Lamps marked the end of the Days before days.

A speculative map of Aman in the Second Age

Then Yavanna made the Two Trees named Telperion and Laurelin in the land of Aman . The Trees illuminated Aman, leaving the rest of Arda in darkness, illuminated only by the stars . At the start of the Years of the Trees the Elves awoke at Cuiviénen in the east of Endor, and were soon approached by the Valar. Many of the Elves were persuaded to undertake the Great Journey westwards towards Aman, but not all of them completed the journey (see Sundering of the Elves ). The Valar attacked and defeated Melkor in the Battle of the Powers , and he was imprisoned for several ages in the Halls of Mandos . But he appeared to repent and was released on parole. He sowed great discord among the Elves and stirred up rivalry between the Elven princes Fëanor and Fingolfin . He then slew their father, King Finwë and stole the Silmarils , three gems crafted by Fëanor that contained light of the Two Trees, from his vault, and destroyed the Trees themselves.

Fëanor persuaded most of his people, the Ñoldor , to leave Aman in pursuit of Melkor to Beleriand , cursing him with the name Morgoth . Fëanor led the first of two groups of Noldor. The larger group was led by Fingolfin. The Noldor stopped at the Teleri 's port-city, Alqualondë , but the Teleri refused to give them ships to get to Middle-earth. The first Kinslaying thus ensued; Fëanor and many of his followers attacked the Teleri and stole their ships. Fëanor's host sailed on the stolen ships, leaving Fingolfin's behind to cross over to Middle-earth through the deadly Helcaraxë (or Grinding Ice) in the far north. Subsequently Fëanor was slain, but his sons survived and founded realms, as did Fingolfin and his heirs.

The Years of the Sun began when the Valar made the Sun and it rose over the world. After several great battles, a long peace ensued for four hundred years, during which time the first Men entered Beleriand by crossing over the Blue Mountains . When Morgoth broke the siege of Angband , one by one the Elven kingdoms fell, even the hidden city of Gondolin . The only measurable success achieved by Elves and Men came when Beren of the Edain and Lúthien , daughter of Thingol and Melian , retrieved a Silmaril from the Iron Crown of Morgoth. Afterward, Beren and Lúthien died, and were restored to life by the Valar with the understanding that Lúthien was to become mortal and Beren should never be seen by Men again.

Thingol quarrelled with the Dwarves of Nogrod and they slew him, stealing the Silmaril. With the help of Ents, Beren waylaid the Dwarves and recovered the Silmaril, which he gave to Lúthien. Soon afterwards, both Beren and Lúthien died again. The Silmaril was given to their son Dior Half-elven , who had restored the Kingdom of Doriath . The sons of Fëanor demanded that Dior surrender the Silmaril to them, and he refused. The Fëanorians destroyed Doriath and killed Dior in the Second Kinslaying , but Dior's young daughter Elwing escaped with the jewel. Three sons of Fëanor – Celegorm , Curufin , and Caranthir – died trying to retake the jewel.

By the end of the age, all that remained of the free Elves and Men in Beleriand was a settlement at the mouth of the River Sirion . Among them was Eärendil , who married Elwing. But the Fëanorians again demanded the Silmaril be returned to them, and after their demand was rejected they resolved to take the jewel by force, leading to the Third Kinslaying . Eärendil and Elwing took the Silmaril across the Great Sea , to beg the Valar for pardon and aid. The Valar responded with the War of Wrath . Morgoth was captured, most of his works were destroyed, and he was banished beyond the confines of the world into the Door of Night .

The Silmarils were recovered at a terrible cost, as Beleriand itself was broken and began to sink under the sea. Feanor's last remaining sons, Maedhros and Maglor , were ordered to return to Valinor . They proceeded to steal the Silmarils from the victorious Valar. But, as with Morgoth, the Silmarils burned their hands and they then realized they were not meant to possess them and that their oath was null. Each of the brothers met his fate: Maedhros threw himself with the Silmaril into a chasm of fire, and Maglor threw his Silmaril into the sea. Thus the three Silmarils ended in the sky with Eärendil, in the earth, and in the water respectively.

Thus began the Second Age . The Edain were given the island of Númenor toward the west of the Great Sea as their home, while many Elves were welcomed into the West. The Númenóreans became great seafarers, but also became increasingly jealous of the Elves for their immortality. But after a few centuries, Sauron , Morgoth's chief servant, began to organize evil creatures in the eastern lands. He persuaded Elven smiths in Eregion to create Rings of Power , and secretly forged the One Ring to control the other rings. But the Elves became aware of Sauron's plan as soon as he put the One Ring on his hand, and they removed their own Rings before he could master their wills.

A map of Númenor during the Second Age, courtesy of the Encyclopedia of Arda .

The last Númenórean king, Ar-Pharazôn , by the strength of his army, humbled even Sauron and brought him to Númenor as a hostage. But with the help of the One Ring, Sauron deceived Ar-Pharazôn and convinced the king to invade Aman, promising immortality for all those who set foot on the Undying Lands . Amandil , chief of those still Faithful to the Valar, tried to sail west to seek their aid. His son Elendil and grandsons Isildur and Anárion prepared to flee east to Middle-earth. When the King's forces landed on Aman, the Valar called for Ilúvatar to intervene. The world was changed, and Aman was removed from Ambar .

From that time onward, Men could no longer find Aman, but Elves seeking passage in specially hallowed ships received the grace of using the Straight Road , which led from Middle-earth's seas to the seas of Aman. Númenor was utterly destroyed, and with it the fair body of Sauron, but his spirit endured and fled back to Middle-earth. Elendil and his sons escaped to Endor and founded the realms of Gondor and Arnor . Sauron soon rose again, but the Elves allied with the Númenórean exiles to form the Last Alliance and defeated him. The One Ring was taken from him by Isildur, but not destroyed.

The Third Age saw the rise in power of the realms of Arnor and Gondor, and their decline. By the time of The Lord of the Rings , Sauron had recovered much of his former strength, and was seeking the One Ring. He discovered that it was in the possession of a Hobbit and sent out the nine Ringwraiths to retrieve it. The Ring-bearer, Frodo Baggins , travelled to Rivendell , where it was decided that the Ring had to be destroyed in the only way possible: casting it into the fires of Mount Doom . Frodo set out on the Quest of the Ring with eight companions—the Fellowship of the Ring . At the last moment he failed, but with the intervention of the creature Gollum —who was saved by the pity of Frodo and Bilbo Baggins —the Ring was nevertheless destroyed. Frodo with his companion Sam Gamgee were hailed as heroes. Sauron was destroyed forever and his spirit dissipated.

The end of the Third Age marked the end of the dominion of the Elves and the beginning of the dominion of Men . As the Fourth Age began, many of the Elves who had lingered in Middle-earth left for Valinor, never to return; those who remained behind would "fade" and diminish. The Dwarves eventually dwindled away as well. The Dwarves eventually returned to and resettled Moria. Peace was restored between Gondor and the lands to the south and east. Eventually, the tales of the earlier Ages became legends, the truth behind them forgotten.

Books set in Middle-earth

Works by tolkien.

• The Hobbit Bilbo Baggins joins a company of Dwarves and the Wizard Gandalf in a quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from the dragon   Smaug .
• Bilbo's cousin and heir Frodo Baggins sets out on a quest to rid Middle-earth of the One Ring , joined by the Fellowship of the Ring .
• The Fellowship is split apart: while Frodo and his servant Sam continue their quest, Aragorn , Gimli and Legolas fight to rescue the hobbits Peregrin Took (Pippin) and Meriadoc Brandybuck (Merry) from Orcs and to save the Kingdom of Rohan .
• Frodo and Sam reach Mordor , while Aragorn arrives in Gondor and reclaims his heritage.
• An assortment of poems, only loosely related to The Lord of the Rings
• A song cycle with the composer Donald Swann (long out of print but reprinted in 2002 )

Tolkien passed away in 1973 . All further works were edited by Christopher Tolkien . Only The Silmarillion portrays itself as a finished work — the others are collections of notes and draft versions.

• The history of the Elder Days , before the Lord of the Rings, including the Downfall of Númenor
• Stories and essays related to the Silmarillion and Lord of the Rings , but many were never completed.

The History of Middle-earth series:

• 1983 The Book of Lost Tales Part One
• The earliest versions of the mythology, from start to finish
• Two long poems ( The Lay of Leithian about Beren and Lúthien , and The Lay of the Children of Húrin about the Túrin saga)
• Start of rewriting the mythology from the beginning
• Introduction of Númenor to the mythology and continuation of rewriting
• 1988 The Return of the Shadow (The History of The Lord of the Rings v.1)
• 1989 The Treason of Isengard (The History of The Lord of the Rings v.2)
• 1990 The War of the Ring (The History of The Lord of the Rings v.3)
• The development of The Lord of the Rings , from 'The Hobbit 2' to what would become more a sequel for ' The Silmarillion '. Sauron Defeated also includes another version of the Númenor connection
• 1993 Morgoth's Ring (The Later Silmarillion , part one)
• Post Lord of the Rings efforts to revise the mythology for publication. Includes the controversial 'Myths Transformed' section, which documents how Tolkien's thoughts changed radically in the last years of his life.
• Source material for the appendices in The Lord of the Rings and some more late writings related to The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings .
• This book has completely integrated all of the indices from the previous twelve volumes into one large index.
• 2007 The Children of Húrin
• 2017 Beren and Lúthien
• 2018 The Fall of Gondolin

In the prefatory information to the 2007 edition of Fellowship ('Notes on the Text'), Douglas A. Anderson explains that, since the Rings books were published almost fifty years ago, numerous emendations and corrections to grammar, word-choice, and punctuation (and repairs to their internal consistency) have been made through the various editions; while many such corrections were by Tolkien's own request (such as specific and intentional word choices made by Tolkien in his original manuscript, but omitted or 'corrected' in later editions by overly-zealous editors), revisions that would have required rewriting portions of the narrative (instead of simple corrections) were left unmade to preserve the integrity of the text.

Works by others

A small selection of the dozens of books about Tolkien and his worlds:

• 1978 The Complete Guide to Middle-earth ( ISBN 0345449762 , Robert Foster , generally recognised as the best reference book on The Lord of the Rings . This guide does not include information from Unfinished Tales or the History of Middle-earth series, which leads to some errors by our choice of "canon" above.)
• 2004 The Annotated Hobbit , Douglas Anderson , a comprehensive study of the publication history of The Hobbit.
• 1981 The Atlas of Middle-earth ( Karen Wynn Fonstad – an atlas of The Lord of the Rings , The Hobbit , The Silmarillion , and The Unfinished Tales ; revised 1991)
• 1981 Journeys of Frodo ( Barbara Strachey – an atlas of The Lord of the Rings )
• 1983 The Road to Middle-earth ( Tom Shippey – literary analysis of Tolkien's stories from the perspective of a fellow philologist; last revised 2003)
• 2002 The Complete Tolkien Companion ( ISBN 0330411659 , J. E. A. Tyler – a reference, covers The Lord of the Rings , The Hobbit , The Silmarillion , and Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth ; substantially improved over the two earlier editions.)

In adaptations

In Letter 202 to Christopher Tolkien , Tolkien set out his policy regarding film adaptations of his works: "Art or Cash". He sold the film rights for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings to United Artists in 1969 after being faced with a sudden tax bill. The rights are currently in the hands of Middle-earth Enterprises , which has no relation to the Tolkien Estate , which retains film rights to The Silmarillion and other works published since 1969.

The first adaptation to be shown was The Hobbit in 1977 , made by Rankin-Bass studios. This was initially shown on United States television .

The following year ( 1978 ), a movie entitled The Lord of the Rings was released, produced and directed by Ralph Bakshi ; it was an adaptation of the first half of the story, using rotoscope animation. Although relatively faithful to the story, it was only a minor commercial success but not entirely well received by critics.

In 1980 , Rankin-Bass produced a TV special covering roughly the last half of The Lord of the Rings , called The Return of the King . However, this did not follow on directly from the end of the Bakshi film.

Plans for a live-action version would wait until the late 1990s to be realised. These were directed by Peter Jackson and funded by New Line Cinema with backing from the New Zealand government and banking system.

• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring ( 2001 )
• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers ( 2002 )
• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King ( 2003 )

Map of Middle-earth from the films

The films were a huge box office and critical success and together won seventeen Oscars (at least one in each applicable category for a fictional, English language, live-action feature film, except in the acting categories). However, in adapting the works to film, changes in the storyline and characters were made, which upset some fans of the books.

The Hobbit film trilogy , a live-action adaptation of The Hobbit was also made as a prequel to The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, produced in New Zealand under the direction of Peter Jackson. Although Tolkien's novel The Hobbit is a single book unlike The Lord of the Rings , The Hobbit film series is a trilogy like The Lord of the Rings film series. The first and second films were released in December 2012 and 2013 respectively while the third film was released in 2014.

• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
• The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
• The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)

In 2019, the biopic film Tolkien was released, portraying the experiences of J.R.R Tolkien before and during World War I , and how those events inspired the works taking place in Middle-earth.

The works of Tolkien have been a major influence on role-playing games along with others such as Robert E. Howard , Fritz Leiber , H. P. Lovecraft , and Michael Moorcock . Although the most famous game to be inspired partially by the setting was Dungeons & Dragons, there have been two specifically Middle-earth based and licensed games. These are The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game from Decipher Inc. and the Middle-earth Role Playing game (MERP) from Iron Crown Enterprises . A Middle-earth play-by-mail game was originally run by Game Systems Inc. and is now produced by Middle-earth Games ; this game was inducted into the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design's Hall of Fame in 1997 .

Simulations Publications created three war games based on Tolkien's work. War of the Ring covered most of the events in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Gondor focused on the battle of Pelennor Fields, and Sauron covered the Second Age battle before the gates of Mordor. A war game based on the The Lord of the Rings film trilogy is currently being produced by Games Workshop . A board game also called War of the Ring is currently published by Fantasy Flight Games .

The computer game Angband is a free roguelike D&D-style game that features many characters from Tolkien's works. The most complete list of Tolkien-inspired computer games can be found at http://www.lysator.liu.se/tolkien-games/

Electronic Arts has released games for the gaming consoles and the PC platform. These include The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers , The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King , The Battle for Middle-earth , and The Third Age . Vivendi released The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring while Sierra created War of the Ring , both games that proved highly unsuccessful.

Apart from these games, many commercial computer games have been released. Some of these derived their rights from the Estate, such as The Hobbit — others from the movie and merchandising rights.

Translations

External links.

• Ardalambion – This is a great site for anyone who wants to delve into the languages of Middle-earth ; recommended especially for anyone who wants to learn Quenya .
• The Tolkien Meta-FAQ – Summaries of common discussions about Tolkien and Middle-earth, from basic questions to expert debates.
• The One Ring.net – A site with multiple examples of Tolkien Fanart, Fanwriting, and a little bit of facts.
• The Lord of the Rings official movie site – the official movie website. It contains information on the movie and the books.
• Lord of the Rings
• 3 Galadriel

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Recommended experiences.

The ultimate Middle‑earth™ itinerary

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Auckland > Matamata > Queenstown

Great Wizards are curious adventurers. This epic journey will guide you through all New Zealand has to offer in three weeks or more. Experience otherworldly landscapes and fascinating fiords and get to know the real Middle‑earth™.

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Elves value beautiful and enchanting places, and this 2-week itinerary will unveil the most stunning places in New Zealand.

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Step into another world and visit the many Lord of the Rings filming locations. Make Middle‑earth™ a reality. Find out more.

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If you were a Hobbit, this is what your holiday through Middle‑Earth™ would look like. From Hobbiton to the Tongariro Crossing, experience it all in New Zealand.

A wizard journey through New Zealand

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Feel the power of Middle‑earth™, explore volcanic lands and the Anduin River. Find out more about a Wizard's tour of New Zealand.

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Follow in the footsteps of Fili & Kili and take a trip to the Lonely Mountain to reclaim treasures from Smaug. Or journey through vast plains along alpine peaks and rocky outcrops before descending into the depths of New Zealand's underground.

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Check Out This Awesome (And informative!) Middle Earth Travel Guide

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smug is only a month away from being released, so it’s time to get obsessed with Middle Earth all over again. In order to get us reacquainted with Tolkien’s magical realm,  HRS UK  put together this lovely travel guide so you won’t find yourself saying the wrong thing to the locals.

While the explanations of all the different locations in Middle Earth are pretty great, what really made us buy into this travel guide was the “etiquette” and “Staying Safe” sections, which teaches you all about the different races and what  not  to say to them. Now you’ll know exactly what to do if you ever get stuck traveling with a hobbit. The trick is to eat a whole lot. Like, all the time.

(via HRS UK )

Meanwhile in related links

• Here’s how much insurance would have to pay out in Middle Earth
• Somebody recreated the latest  Hobbit trailer with LEGO
• But where are they taking the hobbits, Legolas?

Designed for Tolkien fan-fiction authors but widely used in RPGs and by historic, western and fantasy authors. 

Please use the ‘find’ function in your browser window to search for the departure/destination combination. If it is not listed individually, it may be found as a leg of a longer journey.

The minimum times are loosely based on a horse traveling 12-15 mph, with rest breaks dropping the average to approximately 10 mph. The times are decreased (average speed increased) for easy routes such as level roads, and increased (average speed decreased) for cross-country travel, multiple river crossing or difficult terrain such as hills or mountainous regions. I’ve also tried to consider that an urgent rider may push hard to ride 100 or more miles in one day, if that was the entire length of the trip. It would not be possible to maintain that pace over several hundred miles and I reduced the average speed (increased travel time) for the longer distances. It may be possible to shave some time off of these minimum times riding a Meara or Elf-horse, depending on the skill and stamina of the rider. 

The average times are calculated, loosely, on 20-30 miles per day, (depending on terrain) with a rest day every 4-6 days. Sitting on a walking horse for hours and hours at a time is agonizing. It is much easier to trot and canter 25 or 50 miles than to walk/jog 15. -for the horse as well as the rider (speaking of a fit horse) A horse can walk about 3 mph so that gives you about ten mile legs at the walk between breakfast and lunch and lunch and supper. Notice those are average times, not maximum times.

There are instances in canon of trips much slower than what we have listed. For example, Bilbo and the dwarfs traveled only an average of about 10 miles per day on ponies, where Frodo & Co averaged 17.5 mpd on foot over the same distance from the Shire to Rivendell. Another example would be Boromir's trip to Rivendell. It can be assumed that Boromir did not travel in a direct route once he left Tharbad and perhaps wandered somewhat before then. Rivendell was said to be a hidden place and it is probable that Boromir spent time looking for it as he traveled up the Bruinen.

A point to remember with wagons is that they make about half the mileage in a day that horses and riders can make. Riders can vary their pace from walk, trot to canter, but wagons ... go one speed. Especially on a long journey. Also, among the American pioneers it was common for wagon trains to make a rather long lunch stop of two or three hours, to allow the animals pulling the wagon a chance to step out of their traces and relax, eat, drink, etc. So, for wagons .... 15 miles per day is probably maximum. Less if the road is hilly, rocky or muddy. A layover day every 4-5 days is very good. If the terrain is especially hard, or if the roads get boggy, two days rest would be well. On arduous trails over several weeks' travel, a horse can pull down and lose weight and condition, so husbanding them over a long journey is important. Those layover days allow them to relax, physically and mentally, and really eat their fill and not burn it back off right away. On choosing between routes, wagons would take a longer route in order to stay on a road as opposed to attempting a cross-country route.

Note on Hobbit ponies : I don’t believe the average times would be significantly slower, unless they decided to stop and set camp for each meal. The minimum times would depend more on the type of horse or pony (draft, cob or saddle type) rather than the size. This would also depend somewhat on the distance. – being that a larger/taller (longer-legged) horse could outrun a pony over a distance of 20-30 miles, but over the longer distance, the horse would not be moving above a speed that a good riding pony could match for an extended period.

Timelines : This chart was compiled without distinction between the Ages. Please verify the existence of your departure and destination locations, and the routes themselves, from a separate source. 

Travel Times in Middle-earth

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20 Destinations That Belong in Middle-Earth

J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings was a massively influential piece of literature, one that assembled stray bits of mythology, history, cultures, and even other art into a wonderful, cohesive whole. These real-life locations look just like Middle-Earth (and the rest of Arda) in a variety of ways—whether they inspired Tolkien or stood in for Middle-Earth at the movies.

Sarehole (The Shire)

Tolkien's family was from Birmingham, England , though he was born in South Africa. Birmingham may not have the epic sweep of Middle-Earth, but the influence is strong. Consider Sarehole, the small hamlet where Tolkien spent most of his childhood. The lush green scenery is very evocative of the Shire. Nearby Moseley Bog is widely-held to be the inspiration for the Old Forest. The secret tunnels under Spring Hill College could have inspired Bag End, and the Sarehole Mill is almost certainly the mill at Hobbiton—young Tolkien could see it from his house.

(image via Instagram )

Edgbaston (Gondor)

Tolkien's mother instilled in him a love of botany and languages. Upon her death, he and his brother moved to Edgbaston to live with an aunt. Here he lived under two towers—Edgbaston Waterworks and Perrott's Folly , which you can see on the local Tolkien Trail . They are more humble than Gondor's Two Towers, but many fans believe they inspired the author.

Mont Saint-Michel (Minas Tirith)

For the film, Minas Tirith was constructed with a mixture of life-sized sets and insanely detailed miniatures. The inspiration for the famous walled city was Le Mont-Saint-Michel, and island commune in Normandy, France, that features strategic walls and fortifications standing since before the 8th century. In addition to the fortifications, its position by the sea made it accessible to allied guests but almost impenetrable to invaders. In 1433, this little island remained unconquered in the face of an English invasion, making it a perfect fit for Minas Tirith, which barely repelled a massive invasion.

The Black Country (Mordor)

The Black Country lies in the West Midlands in England, northwest of nearby—you guessed it—Birmingham. As the Industrial Revolution swept in, coal mining, coking, iron foundries, and steel mills transformed the landscape and choked the air with pollution. The U.S. Consul at the time, Elihu Burritt, described it as "black by day and red by night."

(image via Flickr )

The Alps (The Misty Mountains)

In 1911, Tolkien traveled through the Swiss Alps, which further fueled the fires of his imagination. Tolkien fans have long postulated that Middle-Earth is roughly analogous to parts of Europe. Tolkien said that this Alps journey directly inspired him to write Bilbo's, so of course the snow-capped mountains would show up to a degree in his work. You can actually take a tour retracing the steps of that trip with the leader of the Tolkien Society as you take in the stunning mountain views that stirred the author's imagination.

(image via Wikimedia )

Lauterbrunnen (Rivendell)

While on that same 1911 trip, Tolkien hiked through the Lauterbrunnen Valley from Interlaken. The landscape here provided the model for his own concept art—his sketches and watercolor paintings of the Valley of Rivendell are basically Lauterbrunnen. Rivendell is a place of incredible beauty and comfort, and this trip seems to have meant much the same to Tolkien, who was transitioning from a relatively tragic childhood into the unknown territory of his studies at Oxford.

Celtic Europe (Lindon)

The lands of Lindon are rich and green with forests. Here is Elven country, where no Man dwells. By the time Lord of the Rings rolls around, people pretty much only come here in order to float off to the Undying Lands. The lush descriptions of the woods have made many fans suspect that the lands around Ireland, Wales, and Scotland inspired the old domain of the Elves. Even if it wasn't an intentional comparison, the area sure is beautiful enough.

Putangirua Pinnacles (The Paths of the Dead)

Aragorn is the heir of Isildur and rightful heir to the thrones of Gondor and Arnor. Before he can claim his title, though, he's got to go round up a bunch of dead guys who broke a promise to his ancestors. Those poor sad dudes are wandering around the Paths of the Dead. The real-life Paths of the Dead are the Putangirua Pinnacles where badlands erosion has carved the landscape into enormous, foreboding pillars of earth called hoodoos. This place is every bit as looming and foreboding as Tolkien imagined.

Tongariro National Park (Emyn Muil)

Mordor was almost certainly inspired by the ruined countryside that the Industrial Revolution had wrought, but in order to bring his barren wasteland to life, Peter Jackson and crew turned to Tongariro National Park. Mt. Ngauruhoe stood in for Mt. Doom. While this active volcano hasn't erupted in about 40 years, the ground is still barren enough to suggest Sauron's corrupting influence on the land.

Kaitoke Regional Park (Rivendell)

Kaitoke Regional Park contains acres of lowland rainforest, making it perfectly elf country. While many of Rivendell's waterfalls were computer-generated, the place still feels like the tranquil, wooded enclave that Elrond called home. In the same park, the nearby Hutt River stood in for the fords of the River Isen, a strategic entry point into Rohan.

Machu Picchu (Weathertop)

Machu Picchu is very strongly associated with the Incas, so much so that you may ask what about it could possibly wind up in a British guy's fantasy book from the 1950s. There's not a strong Incan influence on Middle-Earth, but Frodo and his companions are beset at Weathertop, the ruins of a majestic city set on the highest peak of the Weather Hills. The film crews built a set for this one, but since part of Weathertop's value was the strategic view of the surrounding country, it's hard to imagine a place on earth more apropos than Machu Picchu.

The Atlantic Ocean (Belegaer)

The sea was important to Tolkien. He wrote poems about it. His elves have an inborn yearning to traverse it. And for many of his characters, it represented passing on from this world to the next in a very concrete way. Of course, the water has held a fascination for artists for millennia. The North Sea may be a good place to explore that feeling, but you can't beat the majesty of the Atlantic if you want to invoke a Tolkinesque wanderlust.

Wieliczka Salt Mine (Glittering Caves of Aglarond)

You won't find treasure in the strictest sense at Wieliczka, but you will find the closest you'll ever get on earth to Aglarond. After descending nearly 500 feet of stairs, you find the mine itself, 178 miles long and reaching a depth of over 1,000 feet. The cavernous underground chamber would be impressive enough on its own, but there is also a cathedral here, hewn from the salt. Statues, chapels, and even chandeliers have been made out of the rock salt with a dexterity that would impress even the Dwarves.

Epping Forest (Mirkwood)

Mirkwood is a dark, sinister forest that Bilbo and the Dwarves traveled through on their way to reclaim the Dwarven home at Erebor. Sauron's presence near the forest had made it twisted and evil, such that the native Elves fled to the far reaches. Mirkwood's evil is a pressing force whose weight you can feel as you try to hack through the deserted trails. For that, we turn to Epping Forest, a woods near London which served as a hideout for the famous highwayman Dick Turpin and has seen the discovery of at least 13 bodies from 1966 to 2015.

Mount Sunday (Edoras)

Edoras was the capital of Rohan. If you've made it this far, you probably know that Rohan was the one with the humans and the horses. The crew actually built the city here on Mount Sunday, and, while it's no longer here, you can feel Rohan around you as you hike the mountain or watch the wind sweep through the golden plain below.

Son Doong (The Mines of Moria)

There aren't actually mines in Son Doong, but it is the largest cave in the world. Tolkien was always fascinated by scope—the Fellowship always seemed to travel to the tallest mountains, the deepest caverns, the steepest cliffs. It's in that spirit that we suggest Son Doong. It may not have a Balrog, but it is so enormous that a jungle has grown up around the river that runs through it. From towering caverns to never-before-seen plants, this place has a heft and enormousness that would make Tolkien proud.

Patmos (Gondor)

Under the Romans, Greece was an Eastern province of a larger empire, a shadow of its former self. Greece was ruled from Constantinople, and while we know that city today as Istanbul, it was originally founded as "New Rome." The Siege of Minas Tirith in The Two Towers almost reads like an alternate version of the fall of Constantinople. Today, Constantinople is bustling, but it — and the region around it — carry remnants of an ancient greatness, one that instills wonder and yearning for days long past—much like Gondor.

Danube River (Anduin)

The Danube may run the wrong way, but it certainly feels like the Anduin. It's long enough, and it follows a similar path, wandering mostly over light hills and forests as it meanders its way through the continent, steadily picking up tributaries from the surrounding countryside and somehow being enormous and gentle at the same time.

Great Plains (Rohan)

The countryside of Rohan is often described as being "seas of grass." There are many places that fit that description, but the American Midwest is one of the first to come to mind. The Great Plains make up over half a million square miles of prairies, steppes, and grasslands, stretching out flat as far as the eye can see. While you may not see the Rohirrim ride over the ridge, you may come across the occasional dude ranch, which is at least the next best thing.

Matamata (The Shire)

Matamata already looks and feels like something from Middle-Earth. The town lays at the base of the Kaimai mountain range, and the farming community here is known for breeding and riding thoroughbred horses. The Lord of the Rings crew built Hobbiton here, fixing thresholds and front-yard gardens into the hillsides of a private farm. Beyond simply visiting the area to get a feel for the books, you can actually see the Hobbiton set. It's still standing, and it includes replicas of the Green Dragon Inn and the Mill.

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New Zealand, a land of breathtaking natural beauty, served as the backdrop for the epic world of Middle-earth in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit film series. Embarking on a 13-night adventure across this enchanting country, you’ll explore the cinematic wonders and enchanting landscapes that brought J.R.R. Tolkien’s literary masterpiece to life.

In the Footsteps of Middle-earth

New zealand > north island > auckland > rotorua > ruapehu > wellington & martinborough > south island > christchurch & canterbury > queenstown & wanaka .

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16 Days, 13 Nights

Your journey begins in Auckland, the City of Sails. You’ll be staying at the Movenpick Auckland, a luxurious haven with a Superior King City Room that offers a magnificent view of the city. Enjoy a hearty breakfast to fuel your day as you prepare for your adventures in Middle-earth.

Visit the Weta Workshop Unleashed, where you can dive into the creative process behind the special effects and props of the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films. Immerse yourself in the magic of movie-making.

Your journey continues with a one-way Hobbiton Express from Auckland to Rotorua, the heart of New Zealand’s geothermal wonders. Experience the enchanting landscapes as you make your way to this geothermal paradise.

Spend the next two nights in Rotorua, at the Regent of Rotorua, in a Superior Room with breakfast included. Rotorua is known for its geothermal wonders, and your adventures include an Eco Thermal Park Tour and a Floatplane Crater Lake Flight, offering breathtaking views of this unique landscape. In the Immerse yourself in Maori culture with the Te Po Indigenous Evening Experience and witness traditional performances, savor a Hangi feast, and gain insight into the Maori way of life.

Stay at the Powderhorn Chateau, located in the stunning Tongariro National Park, you’ll embark on a Sunset Guided Walk. Explore the diverse landscapes that inspired Tolkien’s Middle-earth, from lush forests to volcanic peaks.

Two nights in Wellington offer a change of scenery. You’ll stay at the Travelodge Hotel Wellington, with a Guest Room and breakfast. Your adventures include a visit to the Weta Workshop Experience and a Lord of the Rings Half Day Tour.

Head to Christchurch where a private arrival transfer will take you from the airport to The Mayfair, where you’ll stay in a Mayfair King room with breakfast included. Experience the magic of Middle-earth with a Lord of the Rings LOTR Tour, exploring the Canterbury landscapes that served as the backdrop for many iconic scenes.

Embark on a small-group tour from Christchurch to Mt. Cook via Lake Tekapo. Marvel at the stunning vistas as you journey through this enchanting landscape.

Your next destination is Queenstown, the adventure capital of New Zealand. You’ll stay at the The Dairy Private Hotel in an Oasis Room with breakfast included. Over four days, you’ll enjoy a half day Lord of the Rings experience, a Milford Sound Fly, Nature Cruise, Fly Experience, a thrilling KJet boat experience, and a visit to TSS Earnslaw with Walter Peak Farm and Gourmet BBQ Dinner.

As your epic adventure draws to a close, a private departure transfer will take you from your hotel to Queenstown Airport. Reflect on the extraordinary experiences and breathtaking landscapes you’ve encountered throughout your journey.

This 13-night adventure through New Zealand is a dream come true for fans of the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit film series. From the geothermal wonders of Rotorua to the cinematic landscapes of Wellington and the rugged beauty of Queenstown, you’ll immerse yourself in the enchanting world of Middle-earth while enjoying comfortable accommodation and memorable experiences. New Zealand truly is a place where fantasy becomes reality.

• Auckland: Weta Workship
• Matamata: Hobbiton Movie Set
• Rotorua: Thermal Reserves, Crater Lakes, Maori Experience
• Tongariro: Guided Walk
• Wellington: Weta Workshop, LOTR Tour
• Christchurch: LOTR tour, Wine and City Tour
• Queenstown: Milford Sound, Jetboat Ride, LOTR tour, Walter Peak Farm Evening
• Round-trip airfare on Air New Zealand from Los Angeles to Auckland, returning from Queenstown
• One-way airfare from Wellington to Christchurch
• One-way private arrival transfer Auckland Airport/Hotel 
• Weta Workshop Unleashed, Auckland
• One-way Hobbiton Express from Auckland to Rotorua
• Eco Thermal Park Tour
• Floatplane Crater Lake Flight
• Te Po Indigenous Evening Experience
• 4-days Intermediate Car Hire including unlimited mileage
• Sunset Guided Walk
• Lord of the Rings Half Day Tour
• One-way private arrival transfer Christchurch airport/hotel
• Lord of the Rings LOTR Tour
• Wine Trail and City Day Tour
• One-way Christchurch to Mt Cook via Lake Tekapo small-group tour
• Half day Lord of the Rings experience, Queenstown
• Milford Sound Fly, Nature Cruise, Fly Experience
• KJet jetboat experience
• TSS Earnslaw with Walter Peak Farm and Gourmet BBQ Dinner
• One-way private departure transfer hotel to Queenstown Airport
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Middle-earth Travel Guide [infographic] by CheapFlights full of mistakes

by Marcel R. Bülles · Published 14. November 2013 · Updated 9. January 2024

UPDATE: An updated and corrected version of this infographic is now available !

T he Tolkienist is a project with a long-term plan 🙂 I will not bore with the details but do believe me that I have quite a few ideas on how to make this blog a good daily stop for you as a Tolkien fan in the coming years. Now, with the advent of social media those channels will play an important part to get ‘the message across’ and I will start using some of the major techniques which have come up in recent years and are there to stay – for example: Infographics. I am quite glad to present you a recently released Middle-earth Travel Guide (yes, most people can’t speel Tolkein or Middle Earth right but me don’t wanna be picky) which is a very good and easy guide for anyone willing to travel to New Zealand in the footsteps of the film trilogies. Enjoy.

Now, as this is the internet, please find a list of some of the major mistakes in this infographic below. Thanks to Steve G., Peter Hutt and others for bothering me about this. 😉

What to do on the internet when you see an infographic on film locations in New Zealand

Visit Ian Brodie’s website . He has written the official film guide books and helped in searching for film locations.

Have a look at his huge picture gallery online .

Complain with CheapFlights why they come up with such cheap infographics. 😉

UPDATE Nov 14th, 2013: Mistakes in this infographic

It is called “Middle-earth”. It has been suggested to me the use of “Middle Earth” is due to copyright reasons ( thanks, Steve G. ) but as this is the translation into modern English of Midgard I really can’t see how this can be done. But then I am no lawyer and still believe in good things to happen on this planet.

The box office take of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is $1,017,003,568. The numbers have been mistakenly switched as $561 million are the production costs of the “Hobbit” film trilogy as of October 2013. [Sources: Boxofficemojo.com , Variety.com ]

The film trilogies weren’t entirely shot in New Zealand. You only need to look at production diary video #3 to see some of it was done in Pinewood Studies, London (aka “The Saruman Fragment”)

Waikata aka Hobbiton has been rebuilt fully so tourists can visit the Hobbit town . The picture used in the infographic seems to be several years old. Pictures in the link are from Nov. 2013.

Mount Doom may well have been inspired by Mount Ngaurhoe but the actual film scenes were done on Mount Ruapehu.

Helm’s Deep is with the Rangitata River, not the Havelock.

Continue …

Tags: film locations J.R.R. Tolkien Middle-earth mistakes New Zealand Travel Guide

Marcel R. Bülles

Marcel R. Bülles is the author of thetolkienist.com, a specialist blog centering on worldwide Tolkien fandom, geekdom and research. He works as a freelance translator, journalist and writer and is the founder of the German Tolkien Society as well as a co-founder to RingCon, Europe's formerly biggest fantasy film convention. You can find him in cafés all over the world sipping an espresso blogging, writing, reading. At one point he was married to an extremely lovely French lady by the nickname of Sauron. Yes, that Sauron. He is also active with the International Tolkien Fellowship on Facebook and the Tolkien Folk on Instagram.

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The lines in the graph above represent the journeys by Bilbo and Frodo in the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings respectively. You can hover and click on every point on the line to show more information about the events on each day. When you have clicked on a day and opened a popup box you can navigate to the next or previous day using the arrow keys on the keyboard.

Please note that the timeline of the Hobbit only is a rough estimate based on the few known dates from the book. An estimated path has been made with the help of the Atlas of Middle-earth by Karen Wynn Fonstad.

Huge thank you to Shaun Gunner, Chairman of the Tolkien Society, for his valuable advice when creating the page.

Best Places To Live In Middle-Earth

• Middle-earth offers diverse locations ranging from dangerous ruins to idyllic havens like Tom Bombadil's house and Lothlorien.
• Iconic places like Moria, Gondor, Rivendell, and The Shire showcase Tolkien's rich world-building and narrative depth.
• Despite perilous journeys and menacing threats, Middle-earth is also home to vibrant civilizations and awe-inspiring architecture.

J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings has become an indispensable part of the fantasy canon, spawning related texts, movie and TV adaptations, and numerous video games that let players explore Middle-earth at their leisure. Indeed, part of the enduring appeal of Tolkien's work is his detailed and creative world-building, which resulted in such iconic locations as Mordor, Isengard, and Gondor.

12 Games With Great Lord Of The Rings Mods

Admittedly, not every part of Middle-earth can be described as a tourist hot-spot; those familiar with the journeys of both Bilbo and Frodo will be aware of the dangers inherent to traveling through Tolkien's world. However, the fantasy realm isn't all doom and gloom, and there are many areas where even the most ardent of adventurers might be tempted to settle down.

The Once-Great Stronghold Of The Dwarves

Discussion of Moria brings several things to mind, including Gandalf's iconic clash with the Balrog during The Fellowship of the Ring, and Free Range Games' less iconic The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria game from 2023. However, the gloomy, ruined city is unlikely to be anyone's number one choice for a home—at least, not during the Third Age depicted in Tolkein's epic trilogy.

Yet Moria was once a bustling and prosperous city, illuminated with crystal lamps and home to impressive architectural structures like Durin's Bridge. Indeed, at the height of its prosperity, Moria was the place to be in Middle-earth, at least for Dwarves. The Mines of Moria, rich in valuable mithril , allowed Moria and its inhabitants to flourish, but the greed of the Dwarves caused them to dig too deep, uncovering dark powers which decimated the once-mighty city.

A Troubled But Mighty Kingdom

By the time of The Lord of the Rings , the legendary Gondor finds itself besieged by the forces of evil. Centered around the capital city of Minas Tirith, Gondor acts as crucial counterweight to Mordor, ensuring the containment of Sauron's forces. However, despite valiant efforts of the Men who populate the kingdom, their resistance proves insufficient. Gondor is further threatened by the corruption of its leader, Denethor, and continued attacks and sieges .

Lord of the Rings: 7 Most Important Orcs In The Series

While the geopolitical status of Gondor is precarious, the architectural splendor of areas like Minas Tirith cannot be discounted. Indeed, Gondor is home to some of Middle-earth's best civil infrastructure, making life there fairly pleasant during the brief periods of peace.

Tom Bombadil's Home

An oasis in a chaotic world.

Fans of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies may be unfamiliar with the character of Tom Bombadil , as the section of The Fellowship of the Ring in which he features is notably absent from Jackson's adaptation. This is understandable, as Bombadil has only a minor role in Frodo's journey, but it does deprive audiences of a chance to see one of Middle-earth's most idyllic areas. Bombadil lives deep in the Old Forest, enjoying an intense connection with the natural world and a degree of seclusion from the chaos unfolding throughout Middle-earth.

While his house only provides a temporary refuge for Frodo and the other Hobbits, Bombadil's friendly persona and hosting skills make this one of Middle-earth's more desirable residences. For those wishing to find a safe haven from the tumult of the Third Age, Bombadil's house offers the perfect solution.

A Point Of Light In A Dark Region

Few parts of Middle-earth feel as magical as the Elvish realm of Lothlorien , where even time itself seems bizarrely affected by arcane forces. Home to Cereborn, Galadriel, and the Galadhrim, this forested community provides welcome respite to the Fellowship after its harrowing ordeal in the Mines of Moria. However, the strict policies of the Galadhrim nearly prohibit entry to the Fellowship, and tensions are initially high between the Dwarf Gimli and Lothlorien's inhabitants.

The Lord of the Rings: 10 Most Iconic Scenes From The Trilogy

Despite this rocky start, Lothlorien proves to be a paradise for the Fellowship. The generosity and insight of Galadriel prove essential to the ongoing success of Frodo and his friends, and Lothlorien itself leaves a lasting impression on each member of the party. While Lothlorien may be difficult to enter, those who do are bound to be impressed by this timeless, woodland region.

The Birthplace Of The Fellowship

Rivendell serves a vital plot function in Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring , not only providing a safe haven for Frodo and his friends to evade the pursuit of the Ringwraiths, but also serving as the meeting place of the Council of Elrond. Yet beyond its role in the plot of the saga, Rivendell boasts beautiful surroundings and impressive architecture. It's little wonder, then, that the region's buildings have been immortalized in a highly detailed Lego set, as well as by talented gamers .

As a major Elvish settlement in Middle-earth, Rivendell is not only home to such iconic figures as Elrond and Arwen, but is also a place of sanctuary. As such, it is understandable that an aged Bilbo chooses to remain there following the Council of Elrond rather than joining the Fellowship's quest. The heroic Frodo also struggles to leave the serenity of Rivendell behind, even when the fate of Middle-earth hangs in the balance.

A Cosy Home For Reluctant Adventurers

The Shire is, without a doubt, one of Middle-earth's most iconic locations. Home to The Lord of the Rings ' most famous Hobbits, namely Bilbo and Frodo, this pastoral region is ideal for those who want some (temporary) respite from the machinations of Sauron and other evildoers. Indeed, from its cosy Hobbit-holes to its bountiful nature, the Shire is not only the starting place for many an epic journey, but also a comforting reprieve for weary travelers.

Lord of the Rings: The Hobbits' Barrow-Blades, Explained

Admittedly, many of the Shire's occupants demonstrate the same flaws and failings as humans in the real world. This is perhaps unsurprising, as Tolkien modeled the fantastical region on Worcestershire, a rural region in England, while Peter Jackson turned to the lush landscapes of New Zealand in order to bring the Hobbit paradise to the silver screen. However, despite the presence of some petty neighbors, the Hobbit-holes of the Shire are prime real estate.

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The Moscow Metro Museum of Art: 10 Must-See Stations

There are few times one can claim having been on the subway all afternoon and loving it, but the Moscow Metro provides just that opportunity.  While many cities boast famous public transport systems—New York’s subway, London’s underground, San Salvador’s chicken buses—few warrant hours of exploration.  Moscow is different: Take one ride on the Metro, and you’ll find out that this network of railways can be so much more than point A to B drudgery.

The Metro began operating in 1935 with just thirteen stations, covering less than seven miles, but it has since grown into the world’s third busiest transit system ( Tokyo is first ), spanning about 200 miles and offering over 180 stops along the way.  The construction of the Metro began under Joseph Stalin’s command, and being one of the USSR’s most ambitious building projects, the iron-fisted leader instructed designers to create a place full of svet (radiance) and svetloe budushchee (a radiant future), a palace for the people and a tribute to the Mother nation.

Consequently, the Metro is among the most memorable attractions in Moscow.  The stations provide a unique collection of public art, comparable to anything the city’s galleries have to offer and providing a sense of the Soviet era, which is absent from the State National History Museum.  Even better, touring the Metro delivers palpable, experiential moments, which many of us don’t get standing in front of painting or a case of coins.

Though tours are available , discovering the Moscow Metro on your own provides a much more comprehensive, truer experience, something much less sterile than following a guide.  What better place is there to see the “real” Moscow than on mass transit: A few hours will expose you to characters and caricatures you’ll be hard-pressed to find dining near the Bolshoi Theater.  You become part of the attraction, hear it in the screech of the train, feel it as hurried commuters brush by: The Metro sucks you beneath the city and churns you into the mix.

With the recommendations of our born-and-bred Muscovite students, my wife Emma and I have just taken a self-guided tour of what some locals consider the top ten stations of the Moscow Metro. What most satisfied me about our Metro tour was the sense of adventure .  I loved following our route on the maps of the wagon walls as we circled the city, plotting out the course to the subsequent stops; having the weird sensation of being underground for nearly four hours; and discovering the next cavern of treasures, playing Indiana Jones for the afternoon, piecing together fragments of Russia’s mysterious history.  It’s the ultimate interactive museum.

Top Ten Stations (In order of appearance)

Kievskaya station.

Kievskaya Station went public in March of 1937, the rails between it and Park Kultury Station being the first to cross the Moscow River.  Kievskaya is full of mosaics depicting aristocratic scenes of Russian life, with great cameo appearances by Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin.  Each work has a Cyrillic title/explanation etched in the marble beneath it; however, if your Russian is rusty, you can just appreciate seeing familiar revolutionary dates like 1905 ( the Russian Revolution ) and 1917 ( the October Revolution ).

Mayakovskaya Station

Mayakovskaya Station ranks in my top three most notable Metro stations. Mayakovskaya just feels right, done Art Deco but no sense of gaudiness or pretention.  The arches are adorned with rounded chrome piping and create feeling of being in a jukebox, but the roof’s expansive mosaics of the sky are the real showstopper.  Subjects cleverly range from looking up at a high jumper, workers atop a building, spires of Orthodox cathedrals, to nimble aircraft humming by, a fleet of prop planes spelling out CCCP in the bluest of skies.

Novoslobodskaya Station

Novoslobodskaya is the Metro’s unique stained glass station.  Each column has its own distinctive panels of colorful glass, most of them with a floral theme, some of them capturing the odd sailor, musician, artist, gardener, or stenographer in action.  The glass is framed in Art Deco metalwork, and there is the lovely aspect of discovering panels in the less frequented haunches of the hall (on the trackside, between the incoming staircases).  Novosblod is, I’ve been told, the favorite amongst out-of-town visitors.

Komsomolskaya Station

Komsomolskaya Station is one of palatial grandeur.  It seems both magnificent and obligatory, like the presidential palace of a colonial city.  The yellow ceiling has leafy, white concrete garland and a series of golden military mosaics accenting the tile mosaics of glorified Russian life.  Switching lines here, the hallway has an Alice-in-Wonderland feel, impossibly long with decorative tile walls, culminating in a very old station left in a remarkable state of disrepair, offering a really tangible glimpse behind the palace walls.

Dostoevskaya Station

Dostoevskaya is a tribute to the late, great hero of Russian literature .  The station at first glance seems bare and unimpressive, a stark marble platform without a whiff of reassembled chips of tile.  However, two columns have eerie stone inlay collages of scenes from Dostoevsky’s work, including The Idiot , The Brothers Karamazov , and Crime and Punishment.   Then, standing at the center of the platform, the marble creates a kaleidoscope of reflections.  At the entrance, there is a large, inlay portrait of the author.

Chkalovskaya Station

Chkalovskaya does space Art Deco style (yet again).  Chrome borders all.  Passageways with curvy overhangs create the illusion of walking through the belly of a chic, new-age spacecraft.  There are two (kos)mosaics, one at each end, with planetary subjects.  Transferring here brings you above ground, where some rather elaborate metalwork is on display.  By name similarity only, I’d expected Komsolskaya Station to deliver some kosmonaut décor; instead, it was Chkalovskaya that took us up to the space station.

Elektrozavodskaya Station

Elektrozavodskaya is full of marble reliefs of workers, men and women, laboring through the different stages of industry.  The superhuman figures are round with muscles, Hollywood fit, and seemingly undeterred by each Herculean task they respectively perform.  The station is chocked with brass, from hammer and sickle light fixtures to beautiful, angular framework up the innards of the columns.  The station’s art pieces are less clever or extravagant than others, but identifying the different stages of industry is entertaining.

Baumanskaya Statio

Baumanskaya Station is the only stop that wasn’t suggested by the students.  Pulling in, the network of statues was just too enticing: Out of half-circle depressions in the platform’s columns, the USSR’s proud and powerful labor force again flaunts its success.  Pilots, blacksmiths, politicians, and artists have all congregated, posing amongst more Art Deco framing.  At the far end, a massive Soviet flag dons the face of Lenin and banners for ’05, ’17, and ‘45.  Standing in front of the flag, you can play with the echoing roof.

Ploshchad Revolutsii Station

Novokuznetskaya Station

Novokuznetskaya Station finishes off this tour, more or less, where it started: beautiful mosaics.  This station recalls the skyward-facing pieces from Mayakovskaya (Station #2), only with a little larger pictures in a more cramped, very trafficked area.  Due to a line of street lamps in the center of the platform, it has the atmosphere of a bustling market.  The more inventive sky scenes include a man on a ladder, women picking fruit, and a tank-dozer being craned in.  The station’s also has a handsome black-and-white stone mural.

Here is a map and a brief description of our route:

Start at (1)Kievskaya on the “ring line” (look for the squares at the bottom of the platform signs to help you navigate—the ring line is #5, brown line) and go north to Belorusskaya, make a quick switch to the Dark Green/#2 line, and go south one stop to (2)Mayakovskaya.  Backtrack to the ring line—Brown/#5—and continue north, getting off at (3)Novosblodskaya and (4)Komsolskaya.  At Komsolskaya Station, transfer to the Red/#1 line, go south for two stops to Chistye Prudy, and get on the Light Green/#10 line going north.  Take a look at (5)Dostoevskaya Station on the northern segment of Light Green/#10 line then change directions and head south to (6)Chkalovskaya, which offers a transfer to the Dark Blue/#3 line, going west, away from the city center.  Have a look (7)Elektroskaya Station before backtracking into the center of Moscow, stopping off at (8)Baumskaya, getting off the Dark Blue/#3 line at (9)Ploschad Revolyutsii.  Change to the Dark Green/#2 line and go south one stop to see (10)Novokuznetskaya Station.

Check out our new Moscow Indie Travel Guide , book a flight to Moscow and read 10 Bars with Views Worth Blowing the Budget For

Jonathon Engels, formerly a patron saint of misadventure, has been stumbling his way across cultural borders since 2005 and is currently volunteering in the mountains outside of Antigua, Guatemala.  For more of his work, visit his website and blog .

Photo credits:   SergeyRod , all others courtesy of the author and may not be used without permission

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The trains and stations of the Moscow Metro

2 Comments · Posted by Alex Smirnov in Cities , Travel , Video

The Moscow Metro is the third most intensive subway system in the world after Tokyo and Seoul subways. The first line was opened on May 15, 1935. Since 1955, the metro has the name of V.I. Lenin.

The system consists of 12 lines with a total length of 305.7 km. Forty four stations are recognized cultural heritage. The largest passenger traffic is in rush hours from 8:00 to 9:00 and from 18:00 to 19:00.

Cellular communication is available on most of the stations of the Moscow Metro. In March 2012, a free Wi-Fi appeared in the Circle Line train. The Moscow Metro is open to passengers from 5:20 to 01:00. The average interval between trains is 2.5 minutes.

The fare is paid by using contactless tickets and contactless smart cards, the passes to the stations are controlled by automatic turnstiles. Ticket offices and ticket vending machines can be found in station vestibules.

Tags:  Moscow city

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Tomás · August 27, 2012 at 11:34 pm

The Moscow metro stations are the best That I know, cars do not.

Alberto Calvo · September 25, 2016 at 8:57 pm

Great videos! Moscow Metro is just spectacular. I actually visited Moscow myself quite recently and wrote a post about my top 7 stations, please check it out and let me know what you think! :)

http://www.arwtravels.com/blog/moscow-metro-top-7-stations-you-cant-miss

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Claudia Looi

Touring the Top 10 Moscow Metro Stations

By Claudia Looi 2 Comments

Komsomolskaya metro station looks like a museum. It has vaulted ceilings and baroque decor.

Hidden underground, in the heart of Moscow, are historical and architectural treasures of Russia. These are Soviet-era creations – the metro stations of Moscow.

Our guide Maria introduced these elaborate metro stations as “the palaces for the people.” Built between 1937 and 1955, each station holds its own history and stories. Stalin had the idea of building beautiful underground spaces that the masses could enjoy. They would look like museums, art centers, concert halls, palaces and churches. Each would have a different theme. None would be alike.

The two-hour private tour was with a former Intourist tour guide named Maria. Maria lived in Moscow all her life and through the communist era of 60s to 90s. She has been a tour guide for more than 30 years. Being in her 60s, she moved rather quickly for her age. We traveled and crammed with Maria and other Muscovites on the metro to visit 10 different metro stations.

Arrow showing the direction of metro line 1 and 2

Moscow subways are very clean

To Maria, every street, metro and building told a story. I couldn’t keep up with her stories. I don’t remember most of what she said because I was just thrilled being in Moscow.   Added to that, she spilled out so many Russian words and names, which to one who can’t read Cyrillic, sounded so foreign and could be easily forgotten.

The metro tour was the first part of our all day tour of Moscow with Maria. Here are the stations we visited:

1. Komsomolskaya Metro Station  is the most beautiful of them all. Painted yellow and decorated with chandeliers, gold leaves and semi precious stones, the station looks like a stately museum. And possibly decorated like a palace. I saw Komsomolskaya first, before the rest of the stations upon arrival in Moscow by train from St. Petersburg.

2. Revolution Square Metro Station (Ploshchad Revolyutsii) has marble arches and 72 bronze sculptures designed by Alexey Dushkin. The marble arches are flanked by the bronze sculptures. If you look closely you will see passersby touching the bronze dog's nose. Legend has it that good luck comes to those who touch the dog's nose.

Touch the dog's nose for good luck. At the Revolution Square station

Revolution Square Metro Station

3. Arbatskaya Metro Station served as a shelter during the Soviet-era. It is one of the largest and the deepest metro stations in Moscow.

Arbatskaya Metro Station

4. Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station was built in 1935 and named after the Russian State Library. It is located near the library and has a big mosaic portrait of Lenin and yellow ceramic tiles on the track walls.

Lenin's portrait at the Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station

5. Kievskaya Metro Station was one of the first to be completed in Moscow. Named after the capital city of Ukraine by Kiev-born, Nikita Khruschev, Stalin's successor.

Kievskaya Metro Station

6. Novoslobodskaya Metro Station  was built in 1952. It has 32 stained glass murals with brass borders.

Novoslobodskaya metro station

7. Kurskaya Metro Station was one of the first few to be built in Moscow in 1938. It has ceiling panels and artwork showing Soviet leadership, Soviet lifestyle and political power. It has a dome with patriotic slogans decorated with red stars representing the Soviet's World War II Hall of Fame. Kurskaya Metro Station is a must-visit station in Moscow.

Ceiling panel and artworks at Kurskaya Metro Station

8. Mayakovskaya Metro Station built in 1938. It was named after Russian poet Vladmir Mayakovsky. This is one of the most beautiful metro stations in the world with 34 mosaics painted by Alexander Deyneka.

Mayakovskaya station

One of the over 30 ceiling mosaics in Mayakovskaya metro station

9. Belorusskaya Metro Station is named after the people of Belarus. In the picture below, there are statues of 3 members of the Partisan Resistance in Belarus during World War II. The statues were sculpted by Sergei Orlov, S. Rabinovich and I. Slonim.

10. Teatralnaya Metro Station (Theatre Metro Station) is located near the Bolshoi Theatre.

Teatralnaya Metro Station decorated with porcelain figures .

Taking the metro's escalator at the end of the tour with Maria the tour guide.

Have you visited the Moscow Metro? Leave your comment below.

January 15, 2017 at 8:17 am

An excellent read! Thanks for much for sharing the Russian metro system with us. We're heading to Moscow in April and exploring the metro stations were on our list and after reading your post, I'm even more excited to go visit them. Thanks again 🙂

December 6, 2017 at 10:45 pm

Hi, do you remember which tour company you contacted for this tour?

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Money: '£2,000 landed in my account' - The people who claim they're manifesting riches

We delve into the world of manifestation - but will a one-day course help our reporter land some extra cash and an engagement ring? Enjoy our weekend reads, and leave a comment, below, and we'll be back with all the latest personal finance and consumer news on Monday.

Saturday 27 April 2024 07:56, UK

Weekend Money

• '£2,000 landed in my account' - How people are using manifestation for success
• Iceland's new slogan, rising mortgages and cash for grades: What our readers said this week
• Calculate how much your take-home pay will change this month with national insurance reduction
• Why are mortgage rates going up?

Best of the week

• The world of dark tourism - what is it, is it ethical and where can you go?
• Money Problem : I have a mortgage offer - will it change now rates are rising?
• Cheap Eats : Michelin chef's secret lasagne tip - and expensive ingredient you shouldn't use
• How to buy the least unhealthy crisps

Ask a question or make a comment

By Jess Sharp , Money team

My journey into the world of manifestation (the belief that you can attract success in your life through positive affirmations and visualisation) has taken me places I never thought I'd go.

Like a woods in Edenbridge, where I stood meditating under a tree in the pouring rain. I don't yet know where my journey will end (I've been hoping for an engagement ring but my boyfriend hasn't yet seen my visualisations), but it started with a conversation with Jamie Greenlaw-Meek, one of millions and millions of people who claim manifestation has transformed their life.

"About a year ago, there was something happening and I thought we just need two grand to cover the expense," Jamie, a former dancer from London, told me. "The following day £2,000 landed in my account."

It sounded like a coincidence to me, too.

But Jamie was adamant. His husband calls him "the master manifester" because of his "ability to bring in money".

"It's happened on so many occasions, like four, five times," he said. "I become very clear on what I want and the amount of money I need and literally it can be within 24 hours that I get a phone call for a job and it's almost identical to what I asked for money-wise."

When I asked the now-psychic where the £2,000 actually came from, he said it was payment for a modelling job he had been offered.

"With manifesting you don't get caught up in the how, and often it comes in ways that you don't expect," he added, explaining it could come as the result of a claim after being in a car crash.

"It's not always coming in the way that you think but money is out there for us to take in the world. It's just having the confidence to receive it and we are worthy of it."

"Even if it is a placebo effect, does it matter?" he said.

The 43-year-old also believes he manifested his husband Fiongal after being diagnosed with cancer. While going through treatment and dating "a lot" of people, he decided to take matters into his own hands, or rather his own head, and started visualising his perfect partner.

"I decided to spend a good couple of weeks getting really, really, super clear in my mind what this person looked like. Then I started creating lists asking about personality traits, and all the things that I wanted that person to be," the former dancer said.

"The day I got the all clear from cancer I randomly met my husband and when I look at the list of the things I asked for, he pretty much ticks every single box and I really, really believe that is because I got super clear on what I wanted and I put that out to the universe to bring to me."

Jim Carrey and manifestation

If you think this is a new practice, it isn't. Jim Carrey was doing it back in the 90s. He famously wrote himself a $10m cheque for "acting services rendered" and dated it years in advance. Then in 1995, he was told he was going to make the exact amount for filming Dumb and Dumber.

The idea shot up in popularity again in 2006 after Rhonda Byrne published her self-help book The Secret.

Since then, it has hit every inch of the internet and has resurfaced on TikTok with videos posted under #manifesting accumulating a huge 13 billion views.

I tried to learn manifesting - I felt like an idiot

After hearing Jamie's story and seeing the idea was popular with so many people, I thought it best to try to learn manifestation myself. I mean, who wouldn't want money landing in their account and a promotion from the universe?

As I stood in the woods, in the pouring rain, being told to imagine roots growing from the soles of my feet, I felt like an idiot.

I was soaking wet (of course I had forgotten a coat with a hood) and while my mind kept wandering through thoughts about being cold, if I'd hit traffic on the way home and how dirty my white trainers were getting, a gentle, soothing voice kept bringing me back to what I was supposed to be thinking about.

"How we are all connected, how the trees and plants produce oxygen that we breathe, and we breathe out carbon dioxide which they need to survive"

While some people focus their manifestation practices on being grateful to the universe, Tansy Jane Dowman believes we need to get "out of our heads, into our bodies", connect with nature and find our true selves before we can practice it successfully.

My meditation in the woods was just one part of a six-hour-long workshop run by Tansy, which aimed to send me off with a clearer vision of what I truly desired.

Tansy charges anywhere from £25 to £580 for her courses, which range from one-on-one sessions and an online six-week programme, to forest bathing workshops and weekend-long nature retreats.

But some courses have popped up online which cost more than £1,000 to join.

Tansy started practising manifestation in 2018 after going through a difficult period in her life. She eventually quit her job in events management and started teaching others how to do it successfully.

"The way I manifest is not to focus on material wealth or gain. I would ask my clients what an abundant life means to them in terms of feelings, experiences, connections, people and places," she explained.

"The more authentic you are, the more of a beacon you become for those things to find you."

After spending time walking in the rain and meditating under a tree, Tansy and I sat in her dining room and explored some of the happiest moments in my life and the feelings I experienced. It became clear I like feeling accomplished, needed and excited.

We also spoke about challenging times, but the conversation focused on the positives, like how I had overcome them, and what I had learned and not the emotions I felt.

"It's so important to bring in your values with manifestation because sometimes we can get really confused with what we want, with social media especially," she told me.

Throughout her house, Tansy has a number of "abundance boards" proudly on display - some she has made with her children, others are from her annual January tradition of setting out her desires for the year.

"I've had some really wonderful goosebump things happen to me. I did a board at the beginning of 2020... I put a picture of a microphone on it. I just thought I really like that image and I didn't immediately place any meaning onto it," she said.

"Then as the world was shutting down for lockdown, I did a press event and I met a lady who worked for Wellbeing Radio and she wondered if I would be interested in trying out as a presenter.

She explained that some people will be very specific with their desires, like selecting a photo of the exact car they want, or the perfect house, but that isn't how manifestation works and there needs to be an element of trust in the universe giving them what they attract.

As we created my abundance board, which Tansy describes as being like a "personal algorithm", she told me to select images and words from heaps of magazines that called to me intuitively.

As you can see from the picture below, mine calls for being "financially fabulous", travelling, getting engaged (coughs loudly in earshot of boyfriend) and living stress-free.

And while I'd love a big cash injection, Tansy explained to me that money is "only a stepping stone to a feeling" and ultimately, I'm aiming to create an emotion with it.

Manifesters more likely to go bankrupt

While all the manifestation believers I spoke to said there was no downside to the practice, a researcher has been looking into whether it really does pay off.

Based in Australia, Dr Lucas Dixon created a scale from one to seven to rank a person's strength of belief and found those who practice it are more likely to have been victims of fraud and declared bankruptcy.

He said there was a "danger" that manifesting could become harmful if taken to an extreme level.

He found those who believe in manifesting tend to think more positively and have a confident attitude when it comes to success, and while that can be helpful in business, it can also cause them to take unnecessary risks.

"They weren't more objectively successful in terms of having higher income or higher education attainment," he said.

"We also found that they are more likely to believe in get-rich-quick schemes, more likely to take higher risks... to have risky financial investments and more likely to have investments in cryptocurrency rather than traditional stock."

Using the scale he created, Dr Dixon found those who have "very strong beliefs", ranking at a seven, were 40% more likely to have gone bankrupt.

"The danger comes in a couple of different forms," he said, explaining that a "worst case scenario" could see people getting into financial difficulty by being encouraged to "just look at the positives".

"Someone might say it's not harmful because it is really just thinking positively but I think even that can be harmful because of what you might call an opportunity cost," he said.

"You're spending time, energy and money doing something that doesn't have a lot of evidence behind it. We found it does make you feel good but you don't need to pay thousands to do it."

Okay, so back to me...

I did my manifestation course about a month ago, and I have done as I was instructed - my abundance board is up in sight inside the flat, and I often have a cup of coffee in front of it.

But, so far I'm still using a credit card, the most travelling I've done has been to work and back and there is still no rock on my finger - I have been given an annual pay rise, though, and would say I am less stressed.

Perhaps believing that I'm just doing my best and there's a chance that I'll be rewarded for that one day, eventually, in the future, maybe, is making me feel better... who knows?

Each week, Money blog readers share their thoughts on the subjects we've been covering, and over the last seven days, your correspondence has been dominated by these topics...

• Iceland's new slogan
• Rising mortgage rates
• Giving kids cash for grades

Iceland's new catchphrase

We learnt on Monday that Iceland had dropped its tagline "That's why mums go to Iceland", replacing it with "That's why we go to Iceland".

The move was made to reflect the store is for everybody, said brand ambassador Josie Gibson. Readers were split - with some feeling so strongly that they're prepared, they suggest, to sacrifice those frozen Greggs steak bakes forever...

I previously contacted Iceland about their slogan because I didn't think it did single dads justice, as dads can go to Iceland too. Their response was that people understood that it's not just mums that go to Iceland. It's about time they changed the message. Dave T  

Neither I, my wife or my children will shop in Iceland again due to this stupidness and woke attitude. To hell with you Richard Walker. John  

Banks hike mortgage rates

TSB became the latest major lender to hike mortgage rates on Wednesday, following in the footsteps of NatWest, Barclays, Accord, Leeds Building Society, HSBC, Virgin and Coventry.

You said...

With house prices at already extortionate levels, now mortgage rates rising again, is there any hope for first-time buyers? Honestly, the situation is so bleak, people may need to consider other countries. GenZ 

Why would this happen? So many young couples struggling to get on the property ladder. I live in Dorset - a one bedroom flat costs from £230,000. In Scotland, one can get a beautiful two-bed house for that price. Feel sorry for all couples living down in the South. Need huge deposits. Barbs

Why are they called high street banks? Most banks in my town have closed. Martin J

Parents offering cash for good grades

A lot of views came in after our feature exploring the positives and negatives of parents incentivising good school grades with cash...

We had scores of comments on this - with a fairly even split...

We did it for our son at GCSE time. We think it made a difference of about a grade on most subjects. Got a two-grade lift on maths. Cost us £350. Thought it was good value as it has taught him how things work in the world. Andy

The whole world is built on reward system which symbolises access to money commensurate with effort and excellence. The Nobel prize goes with a cash reward! Tom Deggs

Employees are offered incentives for achieving targets, so why not offer kids incentives for better grades? Claire228 

But others had concerns...

I think it puts too much pressure on kids who are under enough pressure at exam time. Parents should encourage their kids to do the best they can not add to their stress levels. Emma

Children should value their education without it being monetised. My parents expected my brother and I to have the motivation, maturity and self-discipline to work hard for our GCSEs. We both achieved all As and A*s. Eliza 

When I was at school, from 1964-83, my parents never gave me money for good exam results, because "I should want to do well for myself." No matter what my grades were, they said that they would be proud of me if I had tried my best. Cash kills self-motivation. Nicola B 

National insurance was cut this month, for the second time this year, from 10% to 8% on employee earnings between £12,570 and £50,270.

The change, announced by the chancellor in his March budget, impacts around 27 million payroll employees across the UK - starting this pay day.

The cut is worth almost £250 to someone earning £25,000 a year and almost £750 for those earning £50,000

Use our tool below for a rough guide to what tax changes can be expected for most people, as there are other variables not included which might affect how much tax you pay including being in receipt of the blind person's allowance or the marriage allowance. It also assumes you are not self-employed and are under pension age...

There are also national insurance cuts for the self-employed. This includes the scrapping of Class 2 contributions, as well as a reduction of the rate of Class 4 contributions from 9% to 6% for the £12,570 to £50,270 earnings bracket.

These will impact nearly two million self-employed people, according to the Treasury.

While many campaigners welcomed the national insurance announcement last month, they pointed out that the tax burden remains at record high levels for Britons - thanks in part to the threshold at which people start paying income tax being frozen, rather than rising with inflation.

The story of the week has been mortgage rates - with a host of major lenders announcing hikes amid fears the Bank of England may delay interest rate cuts.

Swap rates - which dictate how much it costs to lend money - have risen on the back of higher than expected US inflation data, and concerns this could delay interest rate cuts there. 

US trends often materialise elsewhere - though many economists are still expecting a base rate cut from 5.25% to 5% in the UK in June.

The reliable Bloomberg reported this week: "Still, while some economists have since scaled back their predictions for BOE cuts, most haven't changed expectations for a summer move.

"Analysts at Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs Group, Capital Economics and Bloomberg Economics are all among those still anticipating a shift toward easing in June."

The publication also quoted Sanjay Raja, chief UK economist at Deutsche Bank, as saying: "Markets have superimposed the US cycle on the UK, but the US and UK are on very different tracks.

"The UK is coming out of technical recession. Inflation is falling more convincingly. Pay settlements are following inflation expectations. And crucially, real policy rates in the UK will be higher than in the US."

None of this reassurance changes the fact that financial markets, which dictate swap rates, are pricing in delays.

This week's hikes came from Halifax, BM Solutions, TSB, NatWest, Virgin, Barclays, Accord, Leeds Building Society, HSBC and Coventry.

This is what average mortgage rates look like as of Thursday...

The next Bank of England decision on rates comes on 9 May - and pretty much no one is expecting a cut from the 16-year high of 5.25% at that stage.

The Money blog is your place for consumer news, economic analysis and everything you need to know about the cost of living - bookmark news.sky.com/money.

It runs with live updates every weekday - while on Saturdays we scale back and offer you a selection of weekend reads.

Check them out this morning and we'll be back on Monday with rolling news and features.

The Money team is Emily Mee, Bhvishya Patel, Jess Sharp, Katie Williams, Brad Young and Ollie Cooper, with sub-editing by Isobel Souster. The blog is edited by Jimmy Rice.

The family home where Captain Sir Tom Moore walked 100 laps to raise nearly £40m for the NHS during the first COVID lockdown is up for sale for £2.25m.

The Grade II-listed Old Rectory is described as a "magnificent seven-bedroom property" by estate agents Fine & Country.

In a video tour of the house, a sculpture of Captain Tom with his walking frame can be seen in the hallway, while a photo of the fundraising hero being knighted by the Queen is on a wall in the separate coach house building.

Introducing the property, an estate agent says in the tour video: "I'm sure you'll recognise this iconic and very famous driveway behind me as it was home to the late Captain Sir Tom Moore who walked 100 laps of his garden, raising over £37m for NHS charities."

It comes less than three months after the demolition of an unauthorised spa pool block in the grounds of the property in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire.

Speaking at an appeal hearing over that spa, Scott Stemp, representing Captain Tom's daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore and her husband, said the foundation named after the fundraising hero "is to be closed down" following a Charity Commission probe launched amid concerns about its management.

For the full story, click here ...

"Status symbol" pets are being given up by owners who get scared as they grow up, an animal charity has said, with the cost of living possibly paying a part in a rise in separations.

The Exotic Pet Refuge, which homes parrots, monkeys, snakes and alligators among others, says it receives referrals across the country, including from zoos and the RSPCA.

"They're a status symbol. People will say, 'OK, I'll have an alligator or a 10ft boa constrictor'," co-owner Pam Mansfield told the BBC.

"But when the animal gets big, they will get too frightened to handle them, and then the pet has to go."

She added people who want to get rid of the pets sometimes call zoos for help, which then call on her charity.

In some cases, owners don't have licences to own dangerous animals, she says, blaming a "lack of understanding" for what she says is a rise in the number of exotic animals needing to be rehomed.

She says people "just don't have the space" for some snakes, for example, with some growing to as much as 12ft and needing their own room.

The cost of living crisis has also forced owners to give their pets away, she says.

Her charity has also been affected by those increased costs, with the electricity bill rising to £10,000 a month at their highest, to fund things like heated pools for alligators.

Private car parks are accused of "confusing drivers" after introducing a new code of conduct - despite "doing all they can" to prevent an official government version.

The code of practice launched by two industry bodies - British Parking Association and the International Parking Community - includes a ten-minute grace period for motorists to leave a car park after the parking period they paid for ends.

It also features requirements for consistent signage, a single set of rules for operators on private land and an "appeals charter".

Private parking businesses have been accused of using misleading and confusing signs, aggressive debt collection and unreasonable fees.

That comes after a government-backed code of conduct was withdrawn in June 2022, after a legal challenges by parking companies.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: "We're flabbergasted that the BPA and the IPC have suddenly announced plans to introduce their own private parking code after doing all they can over the last five years to prevent the official government code created by an act of Parliament coming into force.

"While there are clearly some positive elements to what the private parking industry is proposing, it conveniently avoids some of the biggest issues around caps on penalty charges and debt recovery fees which badly need to be addressed to prevent drivers being taken advantage of."

BPA chief executive Andrew Pester said: "This is a crucial milestone as we work closely with government, consumer bodies and others to deliver fairer and more consistent parking standards for motorists."

IPC chief executive Will Hurley said: "The single code will benefit all compliant motorists and will present clear consequences for those who decide to break the rules."

Sky News has learnt the owner of Superdry's flagship store is weighing up a legal challenge to a rescue plan launched by the struggling fashion retailer.

M&G, the London-listed asset manager, has engaged lawyers from Hogan Lovells to scrutinise the restructuring plan.

The move by M&G, which owns the fashion retailer's 32,000 square foot Oxford Street store, will not necessarily result in a formal legal challenge - but sources say it's possible.

Read City editor Mark Kleinman 's story here...

NatWest says its mortgage lending nearly halved at the start of the year as it retreated from parts of the market when competition among lenders stepped up.

New mortgage lending totalled £5.2bn in the first three months of 2024, the banking group has revealed, down from £9.9bn the previous year.

The group, which includes Royal Bank of Scotland and Coutts, also reported an operating pre-tax profit of £1.3bn for the first quarter, down 27% from £1.8bn the previous year.

An unexplained flow of British luxury cars into states neighbouring Russia continued into February, new data shows.

About £26m worth of British cars were exported to Azerbaijan, making the former Soviet country the 17th biggest destination for UK cars - bigger than long-established export markets such as Ireland, Portugal and Qatar.

Azerbaijan's ascent has coincided almost to the month with the imposition of sanctions on the export of cars to Russia.

Read the rest of economics and data editor Ed Conway 's analysis here...

Rishi Sunak has hailed the arrival of pay day with a reminder his government's additional National Insurance tax cut kicks in this month for the first time.

At last month's budget, the chancellor announced NI will be cut by a further 2p - so some workers will pay 8% of their earnings instead of the 12% if was before autumn.

The prime minister has repeated his claim this will be worth £900 for someone on the average UK salary.

While this additional cut - on top of the previous 2p cut in January - does equate to £900 for those on average full-time earnings of £35,000, there are two key issues with Mr Sunak's claim:

• Once the effect of all income tax changes since 2021 are taken into account, the Institute for Fiscal Studies reports an average earner will benefit from a tax cut of £340 - far less than £900;
• Moreover, anyone earning less than £26,000 or between £55,000-£131,000 will ultimately be worse off.

In short, this is because NI cuts are more than offset by other tax rises.

We explain below how this is the case...

Tax thresholds

This is partly down to tax thresholds - the amount you are allowed to earn before you start paying tax (and national insurance) and before you start paying the higher rate of tax - will remain frozen. 

This means people end up paying more tax than they otherwise would, when their pay rises with inflation but the thresholds don't keep up. 

This phenomenon is known as "fiscal drag" and it's often called a stealth tax because it's not as noticeable immediately in your pay packet.

That low threshold of £12,570 has been in place since April 2021. 

The Office for Budget Responsibility says if it had increased with inflation it would be set at £15,220 for 2024/25.

If that were the case, workers could earn an extra £2,650 tax-free each year.

Less give, more take

Sky News analysis shows someone on £16,000 a year will pay £607 more in total - equivalent to more than three months of average household spending on food. 

Their income level means national insurance savings are limited but they are paying 20% in income tax on an additional £2,650 of earnings.

In its analysis , the IFS states: "In aggregate the NICs cuts just serve to give back a portion of the money that is being taken away through other income tax and NICs changes - in particular, multi-year freezes to tax thresholds at a time of high inflation."

Overall, according to the institute, for every £1 given back to workers by the National Insurance cuts, £1.30 will have been taken away due to threshold changes between 2021 and 2024.

This rises to £1.90 in 2027.

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