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Iceland

Drekkingarhylur (Drowning Pool)

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Places to see

Natural Monuments

Iceland

Drekkingarhylur (Drowning Pool)

Highlight • Historical Site

Drekkingarhylur (Drowning Pool)

Recommended by 295 hikers out of 311

This Highlight is in a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Þjóðgarðurinn á Þingvöllum

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Location: Iceland

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Best Hikes to Drekkingarhylur (Drowning Pool)

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1. Öxarárfoss – Flosagjá Fissure loop from Laugarvatn

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2. Öxarárfoss Waterfall – Þingvellir National Park loop from Laugarvatn

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3. Öxarárfoss – Flosagjá Fissure loop from Laugarvatn

10.7km

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Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Moderate

Tips

Willem VS

May 27, 2024

Drekkingarhylur, also known as the Drowning Pool, is a deep water pool in the river near the bridge over the Öxará River, located in the heart of the Þingvellir National Park. It is a historic place with a dark past.
In ancient times, when drowning was a common method of execution, the fate was sealed here in the deep waters of the pool. Women, often accused of witchcraft, were tied in sacks and thrown into Drekkingarhylur. A macabre ritual: if the woman drowned, she was considered innocent; If she managed to free herself, she was branded a witch and put to death again.

Translated by Google •

Werner 🚶‍♂️🚵‍♂️🚴‍♂️

July 6, 2021

Here the stream, which comes almost directly from America, flows over to Europe (continental fissure).

Translated by Google •

Sasha Taylor

April 23, 2023

IN OLDEN TIMES drowning was-widely used as a method of execution. People were drowned in marshes, in fresh water and in the sea. In Iceland, provision was made in law for execution by drowning from 1281, but written sources make no reference to such executions until after the Reformation in the 16th century.

At Þingvellir, women were drowned in Drekkingarhylur, but one case is recorded of a woman being drowned in the Öxará river below the meeting-place of the Law Council. No reliable accounts exist of drownings at Þingvellir, but women are said to have been tied up in a sack, pushed out into the pool,
and held under.

Source: Local signage

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Elevation 190 m

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Friday 19 December

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Location: Iceland

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Drekkingarhylur (Drowning Pool)

1. Öxarárfoss – Flosagjá Fissure loop from Laugarvatn

2. Öxarárfoss Waterfall – Þingvellir National Park loop from Laugarvatn

3. Öxarárfoss – Flosagjá Fissure loop from Laugarvatn

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