I have a small collection of the Department 56 "New England Village" pieces. I chose the New England village because it is very much like the Newfoundland outports - coastal fishing theme, etc.. I set it up on a half table that I have and use fake snow and cotton batting on top of piled-up books to make hills.
I visited a friend of a friend one Christmas and she had her village pieces on a shelf that ran all the way around the room about 1 1/2 feet below ceiling level.