アイスランド山脈周辺のおすすめ滝ハイキング＆ウォーキング

It's much quieter here by the lake than near the parking lots. It's also a lovely spot for a break with a beautiful view.

About halfway between Akureyri and Lake Mývatn lies the Goðafoss waterfall. Although only a modest 12 meters high, the thunderous cascade is impressive with its masses of water plunging across a wide gorge. The waterfall's edge was formed at the edge of the Frambruni lava flow, which erupted from the shield volcano Trölladyngja around 8,000 years ago and reached a length of 105 km. The waterfall's name is likely related to the Ljósvetninga saga. In the year 1000, the gode Þorgeir, as law speaker at the Þing meeting, ensured the adoption of Christianity as the official religion. He likely acted primarily for political reasons, fearing the timber embargo threatened by the Norwegian King Olaf if the Icelanders remained pagans. This, however, would have meant the end of vital shipbuilding. Relieved after the successful Þing session, Þorgeir sank his idols in the nearest waterfall, which has since been called Goðafoss, or Gods Waterfall.

🚶‍♂️ Dead Man Walking in Þingvellir Imagine: In the past, you didn't come here to hike, but because the Alþingi had decided that your final adventure awaited you – beheading, drowning, or hanging. A natural idyll with a twist. While today tourists stroll along the wooden walkways with selfie sticks, back then, condemned prisoners walked their final journey to Drekkingarhylur. "Wellness in a glacial stream" just sounded a little less relaxing back then. Who needs Game of Thrones when reality here in the 17th century was much more brutal?

A great highlight

Easily accessible and well-maintained wooden path that immediately immerses you in the impressive area around Pingvellir. Here, you can easily imagine the tectonic plates drifting apart.

The lake lies in the so-called Þingvellir Rift and is surrounded by four active volcanic systems: Prestahnúkur and Hrafnabjörg in the northeast, and Hengill and Hrómundartindur in the southwest. The lake is estimated to be about 12,000 years old, making it the first glacial lake to have formed at the end of the last ice age. It was initially a glacial lake. At the end of the last ice age, the glacier blocked the water's outflow. Eventually, the glaciers retreated, the land beneath the Hengill volcano rose, and the lake deepened.

The scenery is still beautiful, but it becomes a little quieter here. However, the route is a bit difficult to integrate into a loop if you want to avoid the roads.

In terms of landscape, this is actually the most beautiful part of the national park (perhaps apart from the wide view over the valley), as the combination of river with rapids and rocks with green meadows in between just works.