During the Settlement Age (874-930), Þjórsárdalur Valley was a flourishing farming community, but is believed to have been deserted after a heavy rain of pumice during the Hekla eruption in 1104. It was the first time Hekla erupted after the settlement of Iceland, so it wasn’t something the inhabitants could have foreseen. A goldmine for archaeologists, the ruins of 20 farmsteads (about 40 buildings) have been found during archaeological excavations in the area. Currently there is only one inhabited farm in the Valley, but The Soil Conservation of Iceland does extensive forestry in Þjórsárdalur to prevent soil erosion. The successful efforts of this forestry can be enjoyed in national forest Þjórsárdalsskógur, which has many beautiful hiking trails. Iceland’s longest river Þjórsá (230 km long) runs through the valley.
We took the Ring Road from Selfoss going east through the Flói district, but left the Ring Road at Road #30 to drive through the Skeið district towards Þjórsárdalur Valley (Road #32). It’s strange to think that The Þjórsá lava is everywhere under (and somewhere above) the soil in this area, and in fact it reaches all the way from The Highlands to The Lava Beach at Stokkseyri, making it the greatest lava flow on Earth since the end of the last Ice Age.
Gaukshöfði
Gaukshöfði is a large rounded cliff by the river Þjórsá. It’s believed that the settler Gaukur Trandilsson was killed on Gaukshöfði, because in the 19th century, bones and a spearhead were found there, believed to have belonged to him. Gaukur Trandilsson was a settler in Þjórsárdalur and lived at the farm Stöng, which we also visited today. There is a beautiful view of Þjórsárdalur Valley and the volcano Hekla from the top of Gaukshöfði.
Hjálparfoss
Hjálparfoss (“The Help Falls”) is a pair of conjoining waterfalls in Þjórsárdalur, in a landscape of majestic lava formations. The surrounding area is called Hjálp (“Help”). The name stems from the fact that travellers who were coming from the Sprengisandur Route (connecting north and south Iceland) found great help in reaching this vegetated area, where their horses could graze after a long and hard journey through the barren interiors of Iceland.
Þjóðveldisbærinn
Þjóðveldisbærinn (“The Commonwealth Farm”) is based on the former manor farm Stöng in Þjórsárdalur. It is considered to have been abandoned after its destruction during the Hekla eruption of 1104. It was decided to reconstruct the farm in 1974 to celebrate the 1100 anniversary of the settlement of Iceland. When building The Commonwealth Farm, every effort was made to replicate it as true to the ruins at Stöng as possible. The goal was to give a credible picture of the dwelling of an Icelandic chieftain from the settlement age.
Stöng
Stöng in Þjórsárdalur is one of the best known archaeological sites in Iceland. It’s protected ruins of a farmhouse, cattleshed and smithy excavated in 1939. The buildings are believed to have been buried under pumice and ashes from the Hekla eruption in 1104. Further excavation on the site in 1980s and 90s unearthed a church, a cemetary and another smithy. The roof over the site was built in 1957 to protect the ruins. The Commonwealth Farm is based on the ruins at Stöng.
Stöng is believed to have been the home of the settler Gaukur Trandinsson. He was mentioned in the famous Icelandic saga Njálssaga, as one of the biggest viking heroes of Iceland. It is known that Gaukssaga (the saga of Gaukur) existed, but it’s unfortunately lost. A rune stone from the viking era was found in Maeshowe in the Orkney Islands with the inscription: Gaukur var hér (Gaukur was here).
Gjáin
Gjáin is a beautiful small gorge with waterfalls, ponds, lava caves and volcanic structures. It’s a green oasis in a vast desert of lava. Gjáin was formed thousands of years ago, probably by a powerful river flowing through the area. The strange lava formations and craters that can be seen there were likely created by explosions that can occur when lava flows into water.
Háifoss & Granni
Háifoss (“High Falls”) is a 122 m high waterfall, making it the 4th highest waterfall in Iceland. Right next to it is the waterfall Granni (“Neighbour”). These waterfalls are reachable by the so-called Línuvegur (“Lines Road”), the access road for repair and maintenance of electric lines. As you may have noticed if you’ve travelled this route, there are 3 power plants in Þjórsá river, which explains the abundance of electric towers.
Fossabrekkur
As we left Þjórsárdalur Valley behind and started driving down the Landsveit district, our first stop on the eastern side of river Þjórsá was Fossabrekkur (“Waterfall slopes”). Another green oasis in the middle of lava and pumice, Fossabrekkur are a few tiny waterfalls cascading through beautiful lush vegetation. It’s an experience of extremely stark opposites in landscape.
Þjófafoss
Þjófafoss (“Thieves Falls“) is a waterfall in the river Þjórsá, south of mount Búrfell. The story goes that thieves used to be thrown into the waterfall, hence the name. The power plants in the river Þjórsá have seriously affected the water flow of Þjófafoss, which used to be a lot more powerful. Nevertheless, the waterfall remains charming, in the beautiful surroundings of Merkurhraun lava field with a great view of Búrfell mountain and Hekla volcano.
Hekla
Stratovolcano Hekla is the most famous volcano in Iceland, even though the unpronounceable Eyjafjallajökull has been a strong competitor in the past decade. Hekla is one of Iceland’s most active volcanoes. She has erupted at least 18 times in the recorded history of Iceland, the first in 1104 and the latest in 2000. In the past, people believed Hekla was the entrance to Hell, or even Hell itself.
During the entire trip today we had a great view of Hekla from different angles. At Leirubakki we decided to stop at The Hekla Centre, which is a really fun and informative exhibition about the history and geography of Hekla. But unfortunately it’s closed this summer due to the pandemic.
Oddi
Oddi is a major historic site. It was a cultural and learning centre for centuries. In the past, Oddi was home to the powerful saga-era family Oddaverjar. The current church at Oddi dates back to 1924, but there has been a church at Oddi since Christianity was introduced to Iceland.
One of the most important characters in Icelandic folklore, Sæmundur fróði (Sæmundur the learned), lived in Oddi. He was believed to have studied in Svartiskóli (“The Black School”), a school of dark magic, and made a pact with the Devil to solve his transportation needs. Another historical figure connected to Oddi was Snorri Sturluson. The famous historian and writer, who went on to write Snorra-Edda, the narrrative of norse mythology, was brought up and educated in Oddi.
Seljalandsfoss
As you can see in the pictures, it was really windy when we got to Seljalandsfoss. One of Iceland’s most visited waterfalls, Seljalandsfoss is 60 meters high and in a beautiful location surrounded by cliffs and green slopes, characteristic for the Eyjafjöll area. It was really strange to be in this popular tourist location completely alone. While I took some pictures of the waterfall, the girls decided to walk the footpath behind it. At some point a sharp gust of wind literally blew the waterfall onto them, and they emerged from behind the waterfall absolutely soaking.
It is worth it to also visit the waterfall Gljúfrabúi, a short walk from Seljalandsfoss. We decided to skip it this time due to the waterfall-shower incident and it just being so cold in general. So after a quick change of clothes in the car, we decided to check in at Countryhotel Anna and then have dinner.
Gamla Fjósið
After checking in at the hotel and hanging up the wet clothes, we went to Gamla Fjósið (“The Old Cowshed”). Gamla Fjósið is an abandoned barn turned into a unique restaurant. It’s located at Hvassafell cow farm, which has 70 grassfed dairy cows. This family-run restaurant offers fresh natural produce from the farm and surrounding areas. It was really nice to have a delicious hot meal after a cold and windy afternoon.
Steinahellir
Like so many caves in Iceland, Steinahellir was used by local farmers to house sheep. Through the centuries, ghosts and spirits have been seen in and around the cave. Many stories of supernatural happenings and enchantments are connected with it. The ghosts of drowned sailors have been known to haunt the cave, and the ferns growing in the cave are said to be enchanted, causing sickness and death to those who pick them. Steinahellir is now a protected archaeological site. We took a quick look into the cave, making sure not to disturb any ghosts or touch any ferns.
Skógafoss
Like Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss is another one of Iceland’s most visited waterfalls, and again, we were completely alone. In the past 10 years or more, it’s usually been crowded with tourists, with a parking space full of tour busses and rental cars, and a camping site packed with tents… but now there was no one there.
Skógafoss is a 60 meter high waterfall in the river Skógaá river. The river is an excellent fishing river where we caught some salmon on a family fishing trip a few years ago. It’s possible to walk right up to the waterfall, but I’d advise wearing a raincoat because the waterfall produces a lot of drizzle. However, due to all the drizzle, beautiful rainbows are formed there when the sun is out.
Legend has it that viking settler Þrasi hid a treasure chest with a golden ring handle behind the waterfall. Many people have tried to find the treasure (I wouldn’t recommend it), and apparently one man almost succeeded. He is said to have tied a rope to the ring of the treasure chest to pull it from underneath the waterfall, but the ring broke off. The ring used to hang on the church door at Skógar, but is now on display at the Skógar Museum.
Kvernufoss
The waterfall Kvernufoss used to be a hidden gem, but has now become quite well known. Kvernufoss is located a gorge behind Skógar Museum, very close it its famous neighbour Skógafoss. The hike to the waterfall takes approximately 15-20 minutes, following the river Kverna into the bottom of the gorge. Kvernufoss is 30 meters tall and in the summer it’s possible to walk behind the waterfall.
Drangurinn
Drangurinn is a unique cliff and a protected natural feature in the middle of a field of the farm Drangshlíð. The story goes that Grettir “the strong” Ásmundsson (the title character of Grettissaga) pushed this cliff from the mountain Hrútafell, leaving a gap in the mountain. There are caves under the cliffs, which additional buildings have been added to. These buildings and the caves have been used through the ages, mostly as cowsheds. Plenty of elves are supposed to live in the cliff. A vacant stall was always left in the cowshed in case it was needed for an elf-cow.
