Lauterbrunnen valley, Swiss Alps

© Leonid Andronov/Getty Image

Lauterbrunnen valley

Today we’re visiting the lush Lauterbrunnen valley in the Bernese Alps of Switzerland. Nestled between huge rock faces and mountain peaks, Lauterbrunnen is believed to have inspired Rivendell, a valley in J.R.R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth in the ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’. Like Tolkien's mythical elf settlement, Lauterbrunnen valley has a bit of storybook appeal, with an unusually narrow valley floor surrounded by steep Alpine cliffs and numerous waterfalls. There are 72 waterfalls in total, some of which are as high as 400 metres.