While Tolkien's stories take place in the fictional realm of Middle-earth, the awe-inspiring landscapes of the books, films and TV shows are closer than you might imagine.

Thousands of new species have been discovered by scientists this year – here are some of the weirdest.

Tracing a medieval trade route through the Swiss Alps and valleys, the GoldenPass Express isn't just one of the world's most scenic train rides; it's an engineering marvel.

Here are some of the words and phrases the BBC encountered this year that helped to unravel the changes taking place in world around us.

From upcycled sewer pipes to spheres suspended in the sky, capsule hotels have been reinvented for a new generation of travellers.

From an intense tale of two brothers to a stunning Booker winner – the very best fiction of the year.

There is an ever-growing list of the benefits of nature prescriptions – now researchers say nature could offer a cure for loneliness too.

On 26 December 2004, a magnitude 9.1 undersea earthquake struck 240km west of Sumatra, Indonesia, rupturing the greatest fault length of any recorded earthquake.