Our picture of the day takes us to the Swiss village of Lauterbrunnen, where the Staubbach Falls shimmers in the distance beyond a quiet alpine valley. This is the landscape a young traveller, J.R.R. Tolkien, crossed during a hiking trip in 1911, long before he became the storyteller behind "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit." Its soaring cliffs, silver waterfalls and crisp mountain air left a lasting impression and are believed to have inspired his vision of Rivendell, the elven refuge hidden deep in Middle-earth.
J.R.R. Tolkien Day
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, Italy
-
Carnival of Venice
-
Badlands National Park anniversary
-
Plate ice along Lake Superior, Grand Marais, Minnesota, United States
-
San Gimignano, Siena, Italy
-
Naxos, Cyclades, Greece
-
Lake Tyrrell, Victoria, Australia
-
Say hello to these halophytes!
-
Night view of the RMS Queen Mary, Long Beach, California, United States
-
Christmas tree at Crystal Pier, San Diego, California, United States
-
Winter solstice
-
A destination for all seasons
-
Rice terraces of Mù Cang Chải, Yên Bái province, Vietnam
-
Celebrating our looming lunar neighbour
-
Macaroni penguins, Drake Passage, Chile
-
Vinh Hy Bay, Vietnam
-
An underwater paradise to explore
-
Everglades National Park, Florida, United States
-
Grandparents Day
-
Skyscrapers in Manhattan
-
Milwaukee City Hall, Wisconsin, United States
-
Elephant Rock, Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia
-
Río Negro, Amazon basin, Brazil
-
Horsetail Fall in Yosemite National Park, California, United States
-
Firefall at Yosemite
-
Grey seal pup
-
Happy Diwali!
-
This bird is peak beak
-
Leshan Giant Buddha, Sichuan, China
-
Reddy for winter
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

