Iceland (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Fran Parnell [126]
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SNORRI STURLUSON
The chieftain and historian Snorri Sturluson is one of the most important figures in medieval Norse history – partly because he wrote a lot of it down himself. Snorri was born at Hvammur near Búðardalur (further north), but he was raised and educated at the theological centre of Oddi near Hella and later married the heir to the farm Borg near Borgarnes. For reasons not fully revealed, he abandoned his family at Borg and retreated to the wealthy church estate at Reykholt. At the time Reykholt was home to 60,000 to 80,000 people and was an important trade centre at the crossroads of major routes across the country. Snorri composed many of his most famous works at Reykholt, including Prose Edda (a textbook to medieval Norse poetry) and Heimskringla (a history of the kings of Norway). Snorri is also widely believed to be the hand behind Egil’s Saga, a family history of Viking skald (court poet) Egill Skallagrímsson (Click here).
At the age of 36 Snorri was appointed lögsögumaður (law speaker) of the Alþing (Icelandic parliament), but he endured heavy pressure from the Norwegian king to promote the king’s private interests at the parliament. Instead Snorri busied himself with his writing and the unhappy Norwegian king Hákon issued a warrant for his capture – dead or alive. Snorri’s political rival and former son-in-law Gissur Þorvaldsson saw his chance to impress the king and possibly snag the position of governor of Iceland in return. He arrived in Reykholt with 70 armed men on the night of 23 September 1241 and hacked the historian to death in the basement of his home.
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A third lava tube, the 1.5km-long Viðgelmir, is on private property near the farmstead at Fljótstunga, and at the time of research it was off-limits to visitors. The owner, who lives in Borgarnes, used to offer tours – it’s worth asking around if this has started up again.
KALDIDALUR
Southeast of Húsafell, the Kaldidalur valley skirts the edge of a series of glaciers offering incredible views of the Langjökull ice cap and, in clear weather, the snows of Eiríksjökull, Okjökull and Þórisjökull. Although there’s no public transport along unsurfaced Rte 550, you can visit the area on a day trip from Reykjavík or drive south in a private vehicle to Þingvellir.
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ELDBORG
From Borgarnes, it’s a straight shot up to the stunning Snæfellsnes on Rte 54. Along the way you’ll pass the prominent eggcup-shaped volcano Eldborg rising over 100m above the desolate Eldborgarhraun plain. It’s a great place to stop and stretch your legs. Head to Hótel Eldborg ( 435 6602; www.hoteleldborg.is; sites per person Ikr800, sb Ikr2900, s/d Ikr7500/10,900; Jun-Aug; ) and grab their informative leaflet about the area’s geological anomalies, including the cave at Gullborgarhraun, and the stunning basalt towers at Gerðuberg. The equestrian-focused hotel offers very simple rooms (all with shared bathroom), but there’s a good restaurant (mains Ikr1900 to Ikr3100) and a toasty geothermal pool. Horse-riding trips can be arranged for competent riders (from Ikr10,000).
Basic accommodation is also available at the horse farm Snorrastaðir ( 435 6628; www.snorrastadir.com; sites per tent Ikr1500, sb/6-person cabin Ikr3000/13,000).
There’s no public transport to either Hótel Eldborg or Snorrastaðir, but buses between Reykjavík and Stykkishólmur can drop you at the junction on the main road.
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SNÆFELLSNES
Lush fjords, haunting volcanic peaks, dramatic sea