Wild, windswept and covered in ice caps, Iceland is a land of smoking volcanoes, seething hot springs and cozy fishing towns rugged by canyons and fjords.
Among the picturesque landscapes of this island nation, there are ten places worth visiting for travelers heading to this Scandinavian country. Let's explore each of them in more detail.
Iceland's most famous tourist attraction is the Blue Lagoon. This place, which has a volcanic origin, is quite young. It was formed in 1970 as a waste condensate storage pond at a geothermal power plant. Its location among the Grindavik ridges is truly enchanting. And the mineral-infused waters that cause the lagoon's shimmering, whitish hue are renowned for their healing properties.
The majestic Gullfoss, located in the southwestern part of Iceland, is one of the most impressive waterfalls in the world. Its waters rush down a stepped cascade of rocks from a height of 32 meters. The waterfall itself can be seen surrounded by rainbow arches or wrapped in clouds of fog. In summer, the nearby hills and ridges are covered with emerald green herbs, allowing you to enjoy beautiful views while walking along the banks of the Khvitau River.
The small and sleepy fishing town of Grundarfjordur is located on the ice-covered edge of the Snefelsnes Peninsula, which comes close to the Greenland Sea. Grundarfjordur itself is famous for its summer folk festivals and striking views of the Kirkjufell mountain, which juts out like a rocky shark's fin among the waterfalls and bays of Snefelsnes.
The artic glacier Mirdalsjokudl is located on the summit of the mighty caldera of the Katla volcano. Ice covered all year round, this snowy field covers hundreds of square kilometers and is the fourth largest glacier in Iceland. The most daring hikers hike to the Fimmvördühauls Fault and the nearby Eyjafjallajökull volcano.
The Landmannalaugar Valley is located in the center of the Fjallabak Nature Reserve in southwestern Iceland. Lined with hiking trails, this place attracts the attention of tourists with unrealistic landscapes. A mixture of pyramidal rhyolite mountains, lava fields covered with green moss, lakes filled with turquoise water and other unusual geological formations seem to send everyone who can contemplate to another planet.
Sophisticated and quirky, lively and sophisticated at the same time, Reykjavik is the northernmost capital in the world. The city center is lined with cozy wooden houses painted in different colors, and the Althingi Parliament building exudes 19th century architectural charm. In addition, the city houses the National Gallery of Iceland, the Hafnarhus Museum and the ancient ruins 871 ± 2, named after the date of the eruption of the Torvajokul volcano.
Vatnajökull National Park, crowned with seemingly endless ice fields of the glacier of the same name (the largest on the continent outside the Arctic Circle), covers an area of twelve thousand square kilometers. The area is famous for a wide variety of landscapes. Here flowering meadows and roaring waterfalls give way to glacial fields and the Eldgjau Canyon, displaying truly amazing volcanic geology.
The self-proclaimed capital of North Iceland can come as a surprise. Despite its modest population of 18,000, this fishing port on the outskirts of Eyjafjordur is very popular with tourists. There are many interesting independent cafes and teahouses here. The Hafnarstrati shopping street offers countless boutiques and craft shops.
Located east of the so-called northern capital of Akureyri, Lake Myvatn offers a truly incredible landscape. Here rocky craters of volcanoes are replaced by bubbling mud pools. It is believed that the lake emerged after a volcanic eruption more than two millennia ago. Frequent visitors to these places are bird watchers, adventure seekers and tourists alike.
Off the beaten track, right on the edge of the Hvitau River is the small snow-covered town of Skulholt. In fact, it has been a powerful and important place in the country since the 11th century. It is called the center of Icelandic Catholicism. Today the city is crowned by the huge Skulholt Cathedral, which was almost completely rebuilt and completed with elegant Danish stained glass windows in the 1900s.
