I had fun as a child
And how else?
Nestled among the green hills of New Zealand's North Island lies the Hobbiton Movie Set: the place that millions of fans know as the Shire from „The Lord of the Rings“ and „The Hobbit.“ Only when you arrive there, you quickly realize that this is long no longer just a movie set.
This is a whole world that I immersed myself in with pleasure.
From movie set to real Shire
The story begins in 1998, when Peter Jackson's team starts looking for a location for the Shire. From the air, they discover the Alexander family farm near Matamata—a massive sheep farm with those green, rolling hills that seem to have come straight out of Tolkien's imagination.
There are no utility poles, roads, or buildings at the site to disrupt the view. There are only hills, pastures, trees, and a lake.
Whatever is asked in the problem!
In 1999, the construction of the first Hobbiton began for the filming of The Lord of the Rings. Over the course of months, 39 temporary hobbit homes were created on the site. After filming concluded, part of the set was dismantled, but 17 facades remained.
And they certainly give you the beginning of something completely different.
In 2002, the first organized tours began.
When Peter Jackson returned to film The Hobbit, Hobbiton was rebuilt as a permanent set. Thus, the place created for the cinema gradually turned into a tourist destination that continues to live on even after the end of the films.
And here the other story begins.
The story of how cinema can become an experience.
In Hobbiton, the movie starts right from the bus
Early in the morning, our small „combat group“ headed towards this iconic movie world.
The organization is perfect. You get on the bus and almost immediately the story begins – about the making of the films, the location, the set design.
Even before you reach the settlement itself, you are already in it.
This is the first lesson.
The experience begins before the experience itself.
And yes – of course, there are shops. At the entrance. And at the exit.
And, of course, you are buying.
Because who knows: there might not be a second time.
An ardent female fan sat down next to me on the bus. With a huge „hobbit-like“ backpack and outfit in the style of the movie. I looked at her, smiled, and gestured to her that she had invaded my personal space.
A little later I saw that her husband was in the same spirit. You can't help but draw a parallel with Star Wars.
And while I was having fun, my professional curiosity was already at work:
How is an entire tourism industry created from a single movie set?
In Hobbiton, every house has its own story
After the entrance, a sign greets you.
The rules are clear:
- follow the guides' instructions;
– do not leave the designated paths;
– do not touch the set;
– protect nature.
You can't just wander around wherever you feel like on your own. And that's part of the experience, too.
Everything is organized here, but the order does not kill the magic. On the contrary. It preserves it.
And so begins my film-narrative about entertainment.
What isn't there here! Laundry. Pumpkins. Vegetables. Cheese. Honey. Mailboxes. Small fountains. Not a single one is alike.
Bridge. The pointers. The lake. The trees.
And dozens of small houses, each with its own character.
The artist's house.
To the baker.
For the apothecary.
For the alchemist.
To the heroes.
Nothing is accidental: there are no two identical details.
„Hobbiton (Hobbiton Movie Set) | The Real Shire from The Lord of the Rings“
What is real and what is set decoration?
This is one of the games of Hobbiton.
Some trees are real. Others were created for the movie.
And even if the guide doesn't tell you, it's hard to figure out what is what.
The apple tree is real. If there is a fallen apple on the ground, you can take it. And even eat it. For a moment, you are a part of this world. You are not looking at a set. You are living in it.
Here, everything looks so natural that sometimes you forget how much work lies behind this apparent simplicity.
My house is on the hill
My favorite house is up high.
With the open book on the bench.
And the goose feather. Imaginary…
This is one of those little details that won me over. The book.
Without the pipe.
Bench.
And the feeling that someone has just stood up and will be back in a moment.
Yes, books are the panacea for the world. Even in a fictional world like the Shire.
Now look at it through my eyes:
Even though Severina Markova – our Sevi We „gave“ house number 3 as a gift.
I liked this one too.
What, so I don't have two?!
„Bilbo's house. The home from The Lord of the Rings“
Excellent marketing lesson
While wandering among the hobbit houses, I kept thinking that Hobbiton is not just a movie story.
It's a marketing lesson. Brand. Strategy.
Storytelling. Customer experience.
And not as a theory, but live. No one is making you buy. No one is pressuring you with „look at this,“ „get that,“ „don't miss out.“.
Instead, they immerse you in the story. Right at the entrance. Then come the green hills.
The houses. The gardens. The lake. The bridge. The small objects. The exquisite details.
The guide who tells you what is behind all of this.
And in the end, you come away with the feeling that you weren't just a tourist.
You were part of Shira's world.
This is the big difference.
Not just to sell a ticket.
And to create an emotion that a person will remember. Every year, over 500,000 visitors share this adventure.
The cinema that lived on
And it is right here that Hobbiton becomes especially interesting.
The movies are over, and the Shire lives on.
Today, the permanent set includes: hobbit holes, gardens, the bridge, the lake, and the famous Green Dragon Inn—a place that enhances the feeling that you are not just looking at a movie set, but have stepped into a real village. To drink non-alcoholic ginger beer, to go to the retro restrooms. Everything is well thought out and with a playful touch.
The movie world has been transformed into a place that is visited and experienced. But behind all of this lies a simple and very powerful idea:
They don't sell you a ticket, they create a world.
And when a person feels a part of it, they no longer leave with just photographs.
He leaves with a story. Look, I left with mine.
And to be honest with you: I had fun like a child.
Once you truly „fall hard,“ completely immersed in the setting, like in a game…
The next level is coming.
👉 Continued below: „Behind the Hobbit Door“
See more Author Maria Radeva here
