A Guide to Middle-earth: The Geography of <i>The Hobbit</i>

With The Hobbit unfolding 60 years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien's LOTR trilogy, Bilbo Baggins' journey across Middle-earth is sure to cover some familiar ground, but there's a fair share of new territory explored in Peter Jackson's prequels, too. From the rolling hills of Hobbiton to the cold peaks of Lonely Mountain, The Hobbit unfolds across just a small portion of Middle-earth, but finds adventure in every corner.

Located in the far west of Middle-earth, the pastoral lands known as The Shire are home to the diminutive hobbits, who prize simple pleasures like good food and wine and a bit of fine tobacco over action and adventure. Often overlooked both literally and figuratively, hobbits have lived for generations in Hobbiton, a small town in a corner of The Shire, where they're able to avoid getting caught up in the events shaping their world.

The home of Elrond, the elven king played by Hugo Weaving, Rivendell is located in the foothills of the Misty Mountains, east of The Shire. Described in Tolkien's novel as “The Last Homely House west of the Mountains,” Rivendell's tranquility stands in stark contrast to the foreboding mountains that loom over the elven outpost.

This long mountain range splits Middle-earth down the center, and forms an imposing barrier between the more peaceful, western half of the world and the wild lands that lie east of the peaks. Crossing the Misty Mountains is necessary for any journey across Middle-earth, though many travelers opt to travel under the mountains in order to save time.

As we learned in The Lord of the Rings, the fastest route is rarely the safest when it comes to crossing the Misty Mountains, but that doesn't stop Bilbo and the dwarves from attempting to use tunnels hewn into the rock in years past. A maze of passageways and shadows, the tunnels underneath Misty Mountain are home to all manner of dangerous creatures, including goblins and other terrifying beasties.

Home to Legolas and the Silvan elves, Mirkwood Forest lies east of the Misty Mountains and was once a vibrant sea of greenery and life before Sauron corrupted it and turned it into a dark, dangerous environment. During the time of The Hobbit, the influence of Sauron was still felt in Mirkwood, and the massive wooded area became home to a variety of frightening creatures – including the offspring of a certain arachnid seen in The Lord of the Rings.

Along with serving as the home of the Silvan elves and a host of dangerous creatures, Mirkwood Forest also lies just west of Long Lake, where humans have built the floating outpost known as Lake Town. With both Mirkwood Forest and Lake Town falling under the shadow of Lonely Mountain and the dragon that dwells there, the Silvan elves and the residents of Lake Town have developed a strong bond based on this shared threat.

One of the primary trading hubs of Middle-earth, Lake Town is built upon wooden pillars sunk into Long Lake. The town sits in the shadow of Lonely Mountain, and uses its position at the meeting point of several large rivers to facilitate trade between the elves, dwarves, and humans. The inhabitants of Lake Town live in constant fear of the dragon Smaug, who took up residence in the mountain years ago and could reduce their home to cinders with his fiery breath.

Located north of Long Lake, east of Mirkwood Forest and far from any other mountain ranges, Lonely Mountain is the dwarves' former stronghold. After the dragon Smaug killed the mountain's residents and set the nearby human village of Dale ablaze, he settled into the mountain's interior caves and made the vast riches contained in the mountain his personal bed.

Now check out our Hobbit Character Guide