Þingvellir (Thingvellir) is Iceland’s first National Park. It’s a super interesting place and one I got to learn about in real time, because I didn’t know much when I got there.
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Entering the park after a long drive, I found myself looking across a huge valley at a long cliff on the other side. I didn’t yet know exactly what it was, but it looked very peculiar.
In the center of the valley is the ranger station, and I was happy to find out there was a lakeside campsite I could take for the night. I was also given a map of where to go.
I decided to go for a run from the campground to avoid yet another parking fee, and saw some people scuba diving.
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Finally making it to the cliff I saw earlier, I learned what this place was.
The cliff is one side of the continental rift, where the North American and European tectonic plates are splitting apart. The valley I was in is the gap in between.
Everywhere I looked I could see the world being torn apart.
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Halfway up is Öxarárfoss, the waterfall I saw from the other side, the river continuing snaking on down the rift.
This location is historically important as well. It was the location of the Alþingi, Iceland’s first parliament, founded around 930 AD.
The river was diverted to bring water to the assembly.
This is “Lögberg” (Law Rock), where the speaker would stand and decree laws. Iceland had oral traditions.
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| Gálgaklettar | Drekkingarhylur |
The path leads to two darker areas - the Gálgaklettar, a lava pillar where a rope was strung across and used to hang men in executions. And the Drekkingarhylur, or “Drowning Pool”, used to drown women convicted of crimes.
At the end is the Dead Man Walk, the most dramatic rift, named for what went on here.
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| Almannagjá Gorge | Þingvallavatn |
In my usual fashion, I saved the highpoint for last and could now have a good view of the rift and all the historic places. And also Þingvallavatn, Iceland’s largest lake, where’d I’d be setting up for the night.
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The rain kept the other campers away, and it was just me and the birds.
Tomorrow was my last day and I had a couple more places on my way back, starting at Kerid Crater.
Map
