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jmpncsu Says: Þingvellir National Park is one of the main stops on the popular Golden Circle route. We visited on our Golden Circle tour with Iceland Guided Tours. Þingvellir is the site of the oldest parliament in Europe, established in the year 930. It is also located on the crest of...
Regina1965 Says: Lake Þingvallavatn in the National park is the largest lake in Iceland 83,7 km2 large. There are 3 islands in the lake and the normal depth is 34 m with the deepest part being 114 m. Þingvellir is located on the mid-Atlantic ridge and there are a lot of rifts in the lake....
A view-platform overlooking Þingvellir - Hakið.
Regina1965 Says: Before entering the National park of Þingvellir, depending on which route you take, we took the route from Mosfellsdalur (north-east of Reykjavík), there is a scenic platform, view-spot, with breathtaking view of Þingvellir and the lake.You can walk from there down the trail...
The national graveyard behind Þingvallakirkja.
Regina1965 Says: There is a national graveyard behind Þingvallakirkja church since 1939 and the great Icelandic poets Jónas Hallgrímsson (1807-1845) and Einar Benediktsson (1864-1940) are buried there.South-east of the church is Þingvallakirkjugarður graveyard with a lovely lichgate, which...
Regina1965 Says: Now it is not every day that one can walk in the Mid-Atlantic ridge. But in Þingvellir the tectonic plates are actually visible, in earlier days the rift where the plates meet used to be a lot more shallow, but has sunk more and more over the years and it is said that the...
Þingvellir Information center.
Regina1965 Says: The Information center at Þingvellir is at Leirar, close to the camping grounds, which are very popular, as just exploring Þingvellir and its surrounding areas, angling in lake Þingvallavatn etc. can keep you busy for a whole day and then some. The Information center is open...
Regina1965 Says: Close to Þingvellir National park is a lovely little forest called Vinaskógur or Friends forest. It was opened in 1990 when Vigdís Finnbogadóttir was president here in Iceland. The forest is a symbol of friendship and peace amongst men. The idea is that when the President of...
Regina1965 Says: There has been a church at Þingvellir since the conversion in Iceland to Christianity in 1000 but this church at Þingvallir was raised in 1859. You can see the year 1907 on its tower and that year the Danish king came to visit Þingvellir and the tower was rebuilt. The bells...
Regina1965 Says: Lögberg or Law Rock is the place where Alþingi was first held in 930AD. It is debatable where Lögberg was exactly located, but it is believed to have been on a rock pedestal where the flag pole is now located. The other theory is that Lögberg was located inside Almannagjá...
acemj Says: I saw Þingvellir and the surrounding areas as part of a tour with Iceland Excursions. The day trip, known as the Golden Circle, is offered by other tour groups as well, and is really a must if you're in Iceland. The bus provided by Iceland Excursions was clean and...
thelittlevoice Says: There is no public bus to Þingvellir. The two best options are to hire a car or take a tour. Going there alone, I decided not to hire a car because it wouldn't be worth it. Special thanks to Bragi for giving me 15% discount on the tours! The tour included a visit to Geysir,...
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If you follow the path from the lookout over the lake down toward the AlÞing, keep walking toward the parking lot across the valley a bit and you'll cross over the Peningagjá (The Money Chasm). Here in this deep fissure you'll see thousands of glistening coins in the crystal clear waters. It's somewhat of a tradition for visitors to throw loose change into the water from the bridge that crosses over the fissure. It's said that if you can follow the coin all the way down as it falls through the water, your wish will come true.
However, with the prices in Iceland, I suggest you look for the smallest coin possible before you toss it in. Gotta save some bucks!
Updated Jun 13, 2007
A new fissure opened up in Almannagjá.
Regina1965 Says: Almannagjá Gorge is now closed to public, i.e. the southern most part of it - due to the ground caving in and a big hole/fissure appearing on the path. First a small hole appeared on the 31st of March 2011 and then underneath it a fissure, 10-14 meters deep and in parts 4...
acemj Says: When you're standing above the lake and overlooking the fissures in the valley, it looks like a really peaceful place, but when you think that this is land that is literally being pulled apart by the forces of nature, you realize there's more to it than meets the eye. Those...
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Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: I was in Iceland in April and I can assure you that you want to come prepared for the weather. It was quite cold for much of my time here and the day that I did the Golden Circle tour was also a wet and slightly windy one, so I was really glad that I had a wind and waterproof jacket.
If you're doing the Golden Circle with a group, a pair of cross-trainers or any good athletic shoes will be sufficient, but if you're on your own and are looking to hike around Þingvellir National Park, I'd recommend a pair of good hiking shoes.
Photo Equipment: Be prepared with all of your best camera gear to capture the sights here. If there weather is wet like it was for me, you should also be prepared to keep your camera gear dry. Cloths for the lenses, plastic for the body, etc.
Updated Jun 17, 2007
acemj Says: Hverageroi was perhaps the least interesting part of the Golden Circle tour for me, although it was a nice place to stop and grab an ice cream. It is a small town about 45 km east of Reykjavik and was our last stop in the afternoon before heading back to our hotels. The town...
acemj Says: Around the church at Skálholt, you'll see some archeological digs as well as a monument on the spot where the last catholic bishop of Iceland, Jón Arason and his two sons were beheaded for their opposition to the Reformation. Below the church, in the crypt, there is a free...
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Certainly one of the best ways to see this amazing National Park is to hike it. There are many things to see like the lake, waterfalls, fissurs of the land, historical buildings, wild flowers, rivers and streams, interprative centers etc. A trip to this park should include some time for hiking around and see what's to be seen. It is all so beautiful.
Equipment: Be sure to pack a warm jacket and longer pants if you're wearing shorts. The weather in Iceland is unpredictable and can change dramatically in the course of an hour. A good pair of hiking shoes is ideal, but I had a pair of cross trainers and they were sufficient.
Updated Sep 7, 2005
Website: http://www.thingvellir.is/english/
acemj Says: Þingvellir National Park is a wild and unique landscape that is really worth the trip. Where else on earth can you say that you were able to drive or walk from North America to Europe? The geological impacts of glacial and volcanic activity are truly remarkable worth some...
yooperprof Says: This region is Iceland's oldest National Park, and there are many places of great natural beauty. I'm sure that in the summer months you could spend days just investigating this area. In the winter it's a little more difficult - unless you are big into winter camping!
On the 10th of July 2009 our beloved hotel at Thingvellir burnt to the ground :( Þingvellir, our National Park, is situated on the tectonic plate boundaries of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the American......
Any trip to Iceland should include a stop at Þingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site and an amazing geological landscape. To me, the most impressive part of the park, is being able to...
Þingvellir (pronounced Thingvetlir) is one of Iceland's most improtant historical sites. On this site, the first democracy was created back in the 10th century. Even after Iceland lost it's...
I'm sure it wasn't the best idea I've ever had - trying to drive to the rift valley where Iceland's largest lake is located in my small rental Toyota. Especially on a back road. Especially on a day......
At Þingvellir (literally "Parliament Plains"), the general assembly was established around 930 and continued to convene there until 1.798. Major events in the history of Iceland have taken place at......
Build your own Þingvellir page
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