Lore

Caras Galadhon ("moated fortress of the trees") was the citadel of the Elves of Lothlórien. Deep in the heart of the forest, it was the home of Galadriel and Celeborn, the Lady and Lord of Lórien.

The city was located on a green hill surrounded by a fosse and a wall whose gates lay to the south-west. The inhabitants dwelt in large flets in the trees, reached by white ladders.

The city was founded in the second millennium of the Third Age due to the growing threat of Dol Guldur. During the War of the Ring, the Fellowship of the Ring was brought through Lothlórien to Caras Galadhon, and there met the lords of the Galadhrim. They stayed in the city for a month, recovering from their journey through Moria.

In the Fourth Age, after Galadriel had gone into the West, Caras Galadhon was ruled by Celeborn as lord of Lothlórien which now spanned both sides of the river Anduin. Later he left for Imladris as well, and few Galadhrim remained in Lórien. Caras Galadhon became an empty place.


Construction

The city was divided up into four sections for building, which represented four communities of Elves within the city. Each community has its own workshops, feast hall and social areas. The various flets in the trees are connected by bridges, meaning that you can cross the city without touching the ground.

For anyone who is interested in seeing a detailed timeline of the project's construction, the Caras Galadhon project thread on our forums provides a good overview. It took over two years to build, alongside ArdaCraft's many other projects.

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Caras Galadhon forms part of a larger project which seeks to recreate Middle-earth in its entirety. Credit goes to MrBanana and Neverlegendary for leading this project, and to the entire community of builders for helping to construct it.

Lothlórien can be viewed from above on ArdaCraft's dynmap. There is no download available, but ArdaCraft is a non-whitelisted server which anyone is welcome to come and explore, provided they have installed our modpack first.

All information can be found on our website.