Iceland (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Fran Parnell [103]
For cheap meals, there’s a grill at the Shell petrol station.
Getting There & Away
For bus info, see Eyrarbakki (opposite).
Return to beginning of chapter
HELLA
pop 810
This small agricultural community sits on the banks of the pretty Ytri-Rangá river in an important horse-breeding area. It’s also the nearest village to the hulking, shadow-wreathed volcano Hekla, 35km north up Rtes 264 then 268.
* * *
THE EDDAS
The medieval monastery at Oddi was the source of the Norse Eddas, the most important surviving books of Viking poetry. The Prose Edda was written by the poet and historian Snorri Sturluson around 1222. It was intended to be a textbook for poets, with detailed descriptions of the language and metres used by the Norse skalds (court poets). It also includes the epic poem Gylfaginning, which describes the visit of Gylfi, the king of Sweden, to Ásgard, the citadel of the gods. In the process, the poem reveals Norse creation myths, stories about the gods, and the fate in store for men at Ragnarök, when this world ends.
The Poetic Edda was written later in the 13th century by Sæmundur Sigfússon. It’s a compilation of works by unknown Viking poets, some predating the settlement of Iceland. The first poem, Voluspá (Sibyl’s Prophecy), is like a Norse version of Genesis and Revelations: it covers the beginning and end of the world. Later poems deal with the story of how Óðinn discovered the power of runes, and the legend of Siegfried and the Nibelungs, recounted in Wagner’s Ring Cycle. The most popular poem is probably Þrymskviða, about the giant Thrym, who stole Þór’s hammer and demanded the goddess Freyja in marriage in exchange for its return. To get his hammer back, Þór disguised himself as the bride-to-be and went to the wedding in her place. Much of the poem is devoted to his appalling table manners at the wedding feast, during which he consumes an entire ox, eight salmon and three skins of mead.
* * *
The handicrafts cooperative Hekla Handverkshús ( 487 1373; Þrúðvangur 35; 9am-12.30pm & 4-8.30pm Mon-Fri, 1-5pm Sat & Sun summer, weekends only winter) doubles as a tourist information desk. Pick up the free guide map Power and Purity, which covers the region from Hella to Skógar.
Sights & Activities
With its many horse farms, dramatic volcanic backdrop and proximity to the highlands, Hella is a good place for hacks into the wilderness on horseback. Most places offer trips for more experienced riders – unguided horse hire and longer tours into the highlands. Some local horse farms:
Hekluhestar ( 487 6598; www.hekluhestar.is; Austvaðsholt) Rtes 271 then 272, 9km northeast of Hella. Six- to eight-day tours to Landmannalaugar/Fjallabak from mid-June to mid-August.
Herriðarhóll ( 487 5252; www.herridarholl.is) Off Rte 284, 15km northwest of Hella. Week-long stays at the farm in July and August, with daily rides.
Hestheimar ( 487 6666; www.hestheimar.is) Near Rte 281, 7km northwest of Hella. Horse rental.
Kálfholt ( 487 5176; www.kalfholt.is; Ásahreppi) Rte 288, 17km west of Hella (eastern bank of the Þjórsá). Horse rental, plus two- to five-day rides from June to August.
Leirubakki ( 487 8700; www.leirubakki.is) Rte 26, 30km northeast of Hella (near Hekla). Horse rental.
Of course, Hella has a good geothermal swimming pool ( 487 5334; 7am-9pm Mon-Fri, 10am-7pm Sat & Sun Jun–mid-Aug, 4-9pm Mon-Fri, 1-6pm Sat & Sun mid-Aug–May), with hot pots and sauna.
Oddi (about 8km south of town on unsurfaced Rte 266) was once the site of an important Saga Age monastery – see the boxed text, above. There’s nothing much to see here today, though; you’ll get a better sense of Viking history from reading the Eddas themselves.
Sleeping & Eating
Árhús ( 487 5577; www.arhus.is; Rangárbakkar; sites per person Ikr700, sb d with/without bathroom Ikr8000/6500, self-catering cabins Ikr6500-13,300; cafe 11.30am-10pm summer, noon-9pm winter) Right on the riverbank south of Rte 1, Arhús offers a well-equipped campsite and 28 wooden cabins with