Thingvellir or Thingvellir is a valley located in the south-west of Iceland, and at the same time the park of the same name, listed in 2004 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site .It was in Thingvellir that the place of gathering of the parliament, the so-called Althingga, was located, by decision of which more than a thousand years ago in 930 the first settlers started the formation of a new people - Icelanders .It is believed that after this the hostile vikings were united into one nation .And in 1000, in Tingvellir, a decision was made to accept Christianity .
Tingvellir is of great interest from the geological point of view, because the valley is located in the fault zone of the Mid-Atlantic ridge, where the slabs of the two continents, Eurasian and North American, diverge in opposite directions.
How to get to Tingvellir
By car or bus from Reykjavik, located 49 km south-west of Tingvellir. Buses depart from the terminal of the company BSI, located in the center of the capital and ply only in the summer season. By car on Highway 1 via Mosfellsbaer. Further on the road number 36, which passes through Tingvellir (travel time about 1 h).
Search flights to Reykjavik (nearest airport to Tingvellir)
Climate
Subtropical marine climate. The average temperature in summer reaches +10 ° C, in winter it drops to -1 ° С.
Cafes, shops
Near the information center there is a bookshop. There, in the information center, there is a small cafe for visitors, where you can have a snack with sandwiches and cakes. The restaurant and cafe are at the hotel, located near the place of gathering of parliament.
Thingvellir Entertainment, Excursions and Attractions
In 1928 the first national park in Iceland was founded in Tingvellir, where the largest natural lake in Iceland is Thingvallavatn. On the edge of the lake stands the cliff of Lechberg (Logberg, in the Icelandic word for "rock of law"). It was from this cliff that the laws were read and speeches were made. And in 1944, Iceland's independence from Denmark was proclaimed here.
The main attraction of the national park is the rift valley, where a break of two slabs takes place. The surface of the earth in this area is covered with lava, cracks and canyons. The valley expands approximately 7 mm per year and in the national park you can see the edges of tectonic plates and even go from one continent to another. For tourists in the park there are pedestrian paths.
In the park grows about 150 species of plants and lives about 50 species of animals. There are many hills covered with snow caps. Through the entire park, the Yoksara River flows, which ends with the Yoksarorfoss waterfall.
Lake Tingvallavatn
To the south of the reef there is Lake Tingvallavatn with an area of 84 sq. .km .The lake is more than 12 thousand years old, and its deepest point in 114 m is located 13 m below sea level .There are 3 islands in the lake, and among them there are trout, several species of char, large specimens that reach more than 20 kg, stickleback and lake trout, which attract fishermen here .The lake is also popular with diving enthusiasts - the lava canyon of Silfra (Silfra), filled with water, whose temperature is maintained year-round at 1-3 degrees ±$.In the gorge there are underwater caves and tunnels .From the lake flows the river Sog, the largest river in Iceland, which has three hydroelectric stations .
Penningagya Canyon
Whichever route you choose, it will inevitably lead to the Penningagya canyon (Peningagia, in the Icelandic word meaning "money cleft"). In the canyon there are two ponds, one of which, Drehkingarhylur (Drekkingarhylur, translated from the Icelandic "whirlpool for drowning"), according to legends, threw women accused of witchcraft. Now in memory of the drowned there hangs a sign with their names.
Hengidl
To the southwest of Lake Tingvadlavatn is Hengill (Hengill), which is a volcanic system consisting of two volcanoes - actually, Hengidl and Hromandutindur. Hengidl with a height of more than 800 meters is considered one of the highest mountains in Iceland. In the area of the volcano there are power stations that provide energy to all of Southern Iceland, and nearby is the town of Hveragerdi, famous for its hot springs.
| Northern Lights, Tingvellir |
| Rocks, Tingvellir |
| Waterfall, Thingvellir |
| Tingvellir at sunset |
| Tingvellir |