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Hobbit Houses Spring Up in Bosnia Hills

湧現於波士尼亞山丘的哈比人小屋

Source:
VOA | EUROPE
Hobbit Houses Spring Up in Bosnia Hills
May 14, 2023 3:06 AM
Reuters
 
成長於波士尼亞中部蟹腳村的四姊妹,一直希望能善用家鄉的美景造福鄉里,於是她們決定取材「魔戒」中的場景,結合自然景觀與當地特色打造哈比人村,並親自設計與裝飾,以期能吸引粉絲前來觀光,同時也能將她們的童年回憶分享給更多人。
 

Four sisters are building the first Hobbit-style village in southeast Europe in the green hills of central Bosnia, hoping to attract fans of "The Lord of the Rings" books and movies as well as sharing their childhood memories.

"We have often held family gatherings on this hill and discussed what would be the best way to make use of this view for tourism purposes," said Milijana, the eldest of the Milicevic sisters, pointing to the stunning view of a valley and a lake nestled among the hills.

The Kresevo Hobbiton, as the Hobbits' village is called, is located in the village of Rakova Noga (The Crab's Leg) near the old royal and mining town of Kresevo, some 40 minutes drive from the capital of Sarajevo.

Last year Marija, a 28-year-old geology engineer, proposed to her sisters Milijana, Vedrana and Valentina that they build house in the style of the Hobbit homes in J.R.R. Tolkein's "The Lord of the Rings" tales. The "hole houses" are built into the ground.

The sisters decided that their houses must include characteristics of the area where they live and that each sister would decorate one dwelling as she likes.

They have already built two houses and three others are under construction.

The first house, with a round green door and window, was named Lipa after the village where Milijana had spent most of her childhood with their grandparents. Lipa is also the name for the linden tree.

"Lipa is my nostalgia, the memory of a healthy childhood where garden planting was a social game, domestic animals friends and a tin barrel the Adriatic Sea," Milijana said in the wood-decorated house.

The second house is named Ober after a cave in Kresevo. Its ceiling is decorated with stalactites to provide the feeling of being in the cave.

"Ober in history has been the mine from which Kresevo miners had extracted cinnabar and melted it to get gold," said Marija.

Her house's door and window is painted red after the coloring of the cinnabar ore.

The other three houses, which should be completed soon, will also be named after local attractions.

For example Bedem, with towers on its corners, is named after the fortress where Bosnia's last queen, Katarina, had stayed while in Kresevo.

Tourists from across the region and other European countries have already started visiting, Marija said.
 
 
 

Language Notes

 

Check your comprehension!

Choose the BEST answer to each of the questions below. After you finish, highlight the parentheses to reveal the hidden answers.

1.( B ) Why do the sisters build Hobbit houses?
(A) All of them are big fans of "The Lord of the Rings."
(B) They want to do something to their home village.
(C) They want more people to know the history of the mining city.
(D) They want to keep the promise they made to their grandparents.

2.( D ) Which of the following is TRUE about building Hobbit houses?
(A) They come with mountain and ocean views.
(B) All the five houses have been completed.
(C) There is a 40-minute drive from the houses to Kresevo.
(D) Each sister is responsible for decorating at least one house.

3.( B ) What are the houses named after?
(A) names of the Hobbits
(B) local attractions and characteristics
(C) names of the sisters and their family
(D) regions in "The Lord of the Rings"