This beautiful alpine town once inspired Tolkien: How to get there and what to see

There are many beautiful places to travel throughout Europe: from the coast of Croatia to the Atlantic Road in Norway. However, fans of J.R.R. Tolkien may have the opportunity to get closer to the mystical story of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

Tolkien once wrote, "The journey from Rivendell to the other side of the Misty Mountains... including the sliding stones into the pine forest... is based on my adventures in Switzerland in 1911." Experts believe that Tolkien was talking about a small town in Switzerland called Lauterbrunnen, the Express writes.

Lauterbrunnen is located among the Swiss Alps, where Tolkien travelled in his youth. The sights served as an inspiration for the famous writer, and the city even offers The Tolkien Trail - in the Footsteps of J.R.R. Tolkien tour to see these places.

It is easy to get there from London as flights cost about £150 and take less than two hours.

For those who aren't Tolkien fans, there's still plenty to do. According to TravelAwaits.com, the city consists of a small cluster of streets with shops, accommodation, and restaurants.

Along with the quiet mountain villages, Lauterbrunnen offers many hiking and skiing trails, making it beautiful both in summer and winter.

The name literally means "many fountains". This refers to the 72 waterfalls that are scattered throughout the valley.

The highest waterfall is the Staubbach, which plunges almost 300 metres. Another attraction is the Black Monk Mountain, where 20,000 liters of water flows down the 200-metre-high rocks every second.

From Lauterbrunnen, you can take an elevator to the Top of Europe or the Jungfraujoch Sphinx Observatory. The observation deck is located more than 3000 metres above sea level and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.