Þingvellir National Park

Þingvellir

Golden Circle

In 930 AD, Icelandic chieftains chose this rift valley, about 48 kilometers east of Reykjavík, as the seat of the Alþingi — one of the world's oldest parliaments. They gathered here annually for nearly nine centuries, reading laws aloud from Lögberg, the Law Rock. Iceland adopted Christianity here in the year 1000, and declared the republic at Þingvellir on June 17, 1944. The park sits where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates diverge at roughly 2 centimeters per year. Walking through Almannagjá you move between continental plates along a crack that grows measurably wider each decade. The Silfra fissure, filled with glacial meltwater, offers visibility exceeding 100 meters and is a premier cold-water dive and snorkel site. Þingvallavatn, at 84 square kilometers, is Iceland's largest natural lake. Þingvellir is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the busiest stop on the Golden Circle. Entry to the park is free, though parking fees apply. Come early morning or late evening to have the main sites to yourself.

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