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Þingvellir National Park - Where You Walk Between Two Continents
Þingvellir National Park, Iceland
Strolling between two continents does sound like an unreal idea, particularly if you have no clue that it’s even possible to do in Iceland. This singular UNESCO World Heritage Site on Icelandic mainland is one of the ABCs in anyone’s Iceland bucket list. The Golden Circle visit (Icelandic: Gullni hringurinn) – Gullfoss Waterfall, Geysir Geothermal Area, and of course, the Thingvellir are the unmissable landscape marvels that Iceland has to offer.
This is a National Park that’s in a rift valley and at the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates - thus, making it in between the two continents. To its south side, you’ll also see the Þingvallavatn, which is the largest natural lake in Iceland. The name Þingvellir is derived from the Old Norse Þingvǫllr, from þing (“thing, assembly”) and vǫllr (“field”), meaning assembly fields. The area has so much history, from its founding of Iceland’s parliament back in 874 AD, to emerging as a nationalist symbol during the 19th century.
Definitely, the Þingvellir place will instantly become a personal favorite among the Golden Circle gems, because of its truly major historical, cultural, and geological appeal. I like how the world can suddenly astound you in a way that you have never dreamed of – this is one of those moments that you will definitely want to share with your loved ones for the rest of your lives.
The good thing about the Þingvellir National Park is that it’s a beauty no matter the season, but it’s guaranteed to be undeniably striking during winter time. Despite continuous snow showers like tropical rain showers almost every day, once you visit the Þingvellir National Park, you’ll get a chance to behold this legendary natural wonder full of vast space and festive Christmas kind of snow.
If you are a fan of Game of Thrones, fun trivia: the character Jon Snow had ventured north of “the Wall” here, and seeing everything wintery here will remind you of the icicled White Warkers emerging out from the distance. But of course, during summertime, it’s a whole new different story: it’s about snorkeling around these tectonic plates – one of the world’s finest cold water snorkeling and diving spots. So cool, right? #punintended
The view looks like it was instagramed out of a fairytale book; the panoramic distance embraces your eyes into believing so many good things in life!
After entering the parking-assembly site, you can easily get lost in the options of things to do here so it would be best to plan your visit. Although the Information Center and interactive maps can give you a clue as to what you can do and must do here, it’s always a good idea to complete the Hiking Trails here. There are several hiking trails extended around the National Park, and you can even go horseback riding in some of the trails. Along the way, you’ll be able to see abandoned farms and old bridle paths, and you can even drop by the Thingvellir Church. Camping, Angling, and diving are also options equally good ideas to try out, but it all depends on the season and weather on Thingvellir.
The Eurasian and North-American plate boundaries that run through Iceland are most understood and experienced here at the Þingvellir, without a doubt. But, even if it’s a rather full geologic history and wildlife place, visiting during winter time gives it an element of mystery and naivety to it, that makes you want to learn about and explore the place a bit further. The snow covering the lava fields and the water and landscape ratio makes things look so surreal.
The icy Oxararfoss Waterfall and the view from the top of Almannagja are unbelievable, you really have to take your cameras with you and take good photos to immortalize the moment. At night, you can just imagine the Northern Lights covering the area too, so surreal! Truly, this World Heritage Site by UNESCO is a must visit when in Iceland. Who wants to join me do a snorkeling trip to Þingvellir in summer?
[ICELAND TRAVEL] Read the rest of Explore Iceland Travel Blog Series:
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