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Thingvellir

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Koentje3000
Koentje3000
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4 out of 5
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Thingvellir Part II

  • February 28, 2007
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Koentje3000 from Hamme, Belgium
Thingvellir Part II

(continued from part I)

The Þingvellir Information Centre lies on road 36 to Reykjavík. There is a car park, bus stop and camping ground nearby. Road 361 runs south from here and offers access to the main sights of the National Park for people on a tight schedule or visiting the area with a Golden Circle day tour, which also takes in other interesting sights like the Geysir area and the Gulfoss waterfall. If you have more time, you should take one of the hiking trails in the park from the Information Centre or from one of the car parks along road 361.

About 2km south from the Information centre starts the Langistígur path, running in the narrow Stekkjargjá rift gorge, formed by the movements of the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates, creating the Mid-Atlantic Ridge that runs right through the National Park. If you follow the path south, one km later the Öxará river runs right into the gorge, thus creating the Öxaráfoss falls. Where the river runs out of the gorge, the path rises to the top of the parallel Almannagjá rift and passes the ancient parliamentary site where the Icelandic chieftains met to discuss laws or settle disputes. From this place, called the Law Rock (Lögberg), one has a beautiful view on the park area and lake Þingvallavatn.

If you continue the path on top of the ridge, you will end up at the Þingvellir Visitor Centre, with a souvenir shop, a cafeteria and an exposition on the National Park. A road leads from here back towards road 36 and many day trippers park here as it is very close to the most interesting places. Just next to the Visitor Centre is another excellent viewpoint, offering a complete panorama of the area.

A path runs down into the Almannagjá rift and arrives at the Þingvellir plains where the river Öxará runs flows into the lake. At the bottom of the ridge is the only hotel inside the park, the expensive but good Hótel Valhöll. A bridge crosses the river to come to the most famous buildings in the park, the Þingvellir church, on the same spot where the first church was built in the 11th century, and the Þingvallabær manor, at the location of an ancient farmhouse. The white buildings contrast nicely with the black soil of the park. The manor is now used as the Icelandic president's summer residence.

From the church a path leads back north towards the Information or an interesting detour can be made eastwards to the Skógarhólar farmhouse, offering sleeping bag accommodation. The farm was used already long ago as a resting place for horsemen coming to the area.

The easiest way to come here from Reykjavík is of course with a rental car. Day tours to the "Golden Circle", taking in Gulfoss and Geysir on the way are also available year-round. During summer public buses also travel the roads.

From journal Smoky Bay Town

Editor Pick

Thingvellir

  • February 28, 2007
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Koentje3000 from Hamme, Belgium
Thingvellir

Thingvellir (or Þingvellir in Icelandic script) is a UNESCO listed World Heritage national park, located 50km east of Reykjavík. It is of great historical and natural significance. The name Þingvellir means "Assembly Planes" in Icelandic. In the year 930 AD the first Icelandic parliament (Alþing or General Assembly) was founded on this exact location, with the first gathering of the chieftains of the different Icelandic clans and other important persons. At their yearly assembly the people present would settle disputes, amend laws, punish lawbreakers and elect a new lawspeaker among them, who officially proclaimed the new laws, but in fact had much more power than just this. Important decisions in Icelandic history were all proclaimed here, like the adoption of Christianity, the introduction of law books to avoid later discussions, the founding of courts for punishing lesser crimes and the acceptance of the Danish king as head of state. The latter decision led to a decreased importance of the parliament and eventually its dissolution in 1798. 150 years later Iceland's independence from Denmark was proclaimed from this historical place.

The site of the parliament was not only chosen for its central location, close to most of the historical Norse settlements in Iceland apart from some in the north and east of the country, but also to its magnificent geologically and naturally important setting. It is located right on the Mid-Atlantic ridge, where the North American and the Eurasian plate are drifting away from each other, causing Iceland's volcanic nature. The geologic fault can clearly be seen in the park as rocky rifts. The site is also located on the spot where the river Öxará flows into Iceland's largest natural lake Þingvallavatn, only surpassed by Þórisvatn, a dammed reservoir for generating hydroelectricity.

Most people arrive in the park on road 36, running from Reykjavík in the east to Selfoss in the south. Where road 36 meets road 52, running north towards Borgarnes and the beautiful inland Kaldidalur route, is the Þingvellir Information Centre, reachable by public bus in summer or with a 4WD or bus "Golden Circle" tour (taking in Geysir and Gullfoss, weather permitting) all year round. A car park is also provided. The centre, open in weekends only off-season or every day in summer, offers general information on the park as well as trekking maps, fishing licences and a bar and restaurant. A camping ground is nearby, providing the cheapest accommodation in the area.

(continued in part II)

From journal Smoky Bay Town

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