Novel Settings and Iconic Actors in the Czech Republic

The Hobbit in the mountains or by the Vltava River

We begin in the very place where Tolkien’s stories start: in Hobbiton, the hobbits’ homeland. You don’t need to travel all the way to New Zealand, where filmmakers constructed a detailed replica of Hobbiton. In the Orlické Mountains, close to Deštné, Mr. Svatoslav Hofman, a fan of J. R. R. Tolkien’s wonderful tales, created the Czech Hobbitín. Some of the homes with their signature round windows and doors can be admired from the outside, while others can be explored inside during the busy season. If you find yourself in the Eagle Mountains and want to see something similar, visit the colony of wine cellars in Vrbica, a town in South Moravia. You can also take a leisurely walk along the embankments of Rašín and Hořejší in Prague, where the restored “dungeons” or circular areas in the embankment walls, which were once used for storage, are quite different from hobbit holes.

Elbe Canyon and an invitation to a fairytale cruise

The largest sandstone canyon in Europe features stunning rock walls that rise to 300 meters high and stretches from Děčín to Hřensko. The Elbe River winds through a dreamy landscape of sandstone cliffs, easily transporting you into the enchanting world of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and the mythical Middle-earth, complete with romantic stone bridges, rugged gorges, and ancient stairways that navigate the rocks, ladders, and boulders. You can admire the impressive rock formations in several ways: via marked hiking paths on both sides of the valley, through train windows on the international railway line, while cycling along the Elbe bike path, from boats, or even from the via ferrata on the Shepherd’s Wall in Děčín.

The Underground Empire of Moria

Are you curious about exploring the ancient dwarven city of Moria beneath the Misty Mountains? A magical maze of passageways, chasms, tunnels, mines, lakes, and expansive halls comes to life as you read Tolkien’s The Hobbit or A Journey There and Back Again, as well as in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and other works. In the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, the look of Moria was primarily inspired by the artwork of Alan Lee. In fact, visiting some fascinating old water tanks—such as the lapidarium in the historical castle water tanks at Špilberk in Brno—gives you a bit of that enchanting experience, along with the historic water tanks at Žlutý Hill in Brno or the underground spaces of the Old Wastewater Treatment Plant in Prague-Bubenč.

Bridge over the Khazad-dûm abyss

To glimpse Moria, also known as Khazad-dûm in the dwarven language, you can visit parts of the Moravian Karst, specifically the Sloup–Shosh Caves. The highlight of this underground wonder is Nagel’s Abyss, discovered by mathematician J. A. Nagel in 1748. This abyss, approximately 90 meters deep, is crossed by two bridges: although they may appear delicate, they are completely safe and will take you into a fantasy world, if only for a moment. The caves remain open throughout winter and feature an adventure trail named after Nagel.

Gandalf or Krakonoš?

The benevolent spirit of the Giant Mountains, known as Krakonoš, likely inspired the character of the wizard Gandalf. Both are depicted as elderly men with long beards, big hats, and cloaks, and tourists from New Zealand often bring back souvenirs featuring similar images from their travels in the Giant Mountains. Additionally, a postcard featuring Krakonoš painted by German artist Josef Madlener led the British writer to observe that it reflected “the origin of Gandalf”.

Celtic Telegraph

Were you enchanted by the giant bonfires lit on mountain ranges in Middle-earth that appeared in the final part of the Lord of the Rings films? This is reminiscent of The Celtic Telegraph, where fire signals are sent between locations along agreed paths across the countryside on the first Saturday of spring each year. This tradition honors the ancient inhabitants of central Europe who used fire to alert others of threats, while modern Celts now use these fire signals to celebrate the arrival of spring and to connect communities in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The Chronicles of Narnia and the Gate of Pravchicka

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (born January 3, 1892, in Bloemfontein, passed away September 2, 1973, in Bournemouth) was a renowned English author, linguist, and university lecturer. He is best known for his works, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and more, and is widely regarded as the father of modern fantasy literature. From 1925 to 1945, he served as a Professor of Old English and later as Professor of English Language and Literature at the University of Oxford. Additionally, one of his closest friends was Irish writer Clive Staples Lewis, who wrote the popular Chronicles of Narnia series. Both men were part of the Inklings literary group. As a bonus, we share two more tales from Northwest Bohemia. The rock formations in Tisá were selected for their snow-capped appearance (some snow scenes were made artificially) and their unique sandstone formations, which director Andrew Adamson utilized for the film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The famous Pravčická Gate located in the nearby Bohemian Switzerland also featured as a stone bridge in the movie.

Famous actors and their Czech traces

You might be surprised to find out how many renowned actors from Tolkien’s stories have connections to the Czech Republic. Although most stories by Tolkien and Lewis were filmed primarily in New Zealand, England, or in the studios in the USA, several actors from the film adaptations of The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia have visited or worked in the Czech Republic for various reasons, including theater productions, film projects, or personal trips. Here are some fascinating instances when the enchanting worlds of Middle-earth and Narnia symbolically interacted with our country.
Sir Ian McKellen (Gandalf) – made a guest appearance in Prague in 2007 for performances of King Lear and Richard III. After one show, he threw the bouquet he received into the presidential box of Václav Havel as a nod of respect.
Orlando Bloom (Legolas) – spent several years filming the visually stunning series Carnival Row (2017-2021) in Prague. The Barrandov Studios and the city’s historical scenery were transformed into a dark Victorian setting. He also shot advertisement videos there and became the new ambassador for the Staropramen brewery. During that time, social media was flooded with his photos capturing glimpses of Prague and occasions of swimming in the Berounka river.
John Rhys-Davies (Gimli) – visited Písek, located in South Bohemia, in 2025 to film scenes from the upcoming fantasy project The Heart of Aldoria. The stunning Czech landscapes and historic settings became the backdrop for this new magical world.
Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn) – came to the Czech Republic in 2024 and received an award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, specifically the President’s Award of the KV IFF, for his remarkable contributions to the world of cinema.