Iceland (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Fran Parnell [88]
Hiring a car will mean you’ll be able to enjoy other nearby highlights. Nesjavellir is great for its surreal other-planet landscape; on clear days, the active volcano Hekla is a sublime sight; and there are interesting Viking ruins in the scenic Þjórsárdalur valley.
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ÞINGVELLIR
This national park, 23km east of Reykjavík, is Iceland’s most important historical site and a place of lonely beauty. The country’s first national park, it was finally made a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2004.
The Vikings established the world’s first democratic parliament, the Alþing, here in AD 930. As with many saga sites, there aren’t many Viking remains to be seen, but the park has a superb natural setting, inside an immense rift valley caused by the separating North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. Its undulating mossy lava flows are scarred by streams and rocky fissures. It’s particularly awesome in autumn, when the dwarf birch forests glow with brilliant red, orange and yellow hues.
History
Many of Iceland’s first settlers had run-ins with royalty back in mainland Scandinavia. These chancers and outlaws decided that they could live happily without kings in the new country, instead creating district þings (assemblies) where justice could be served.
Eventually, a nationwide þing became necessary. One man was dispatched to Norway to study law, while his foster brother travelled the country looking for a suitable site. Bláskógur – now Þingvellir (Parliament Fields) – lay at a crossroads by a huge fish-filled lake. It had plenty of firewood and a setting that would make even the most tedious orator dramatic, so it fitted the bill perfectly. Every important decision affecting Iceland was argued out on this plain – new laws were passed, marriage contracts were made, and even the country’s religion was decided here. The annual parliament was also a great social occasion, thronging with traders and entertainers.
Over the following centuries, escalating violence between Iceland’s most powerful men led to the breakdown of law and order. Governance was surrendered to the Norwegian crown and the Alþing was stripped of its legislative powers in 1271. It functioned solely as a courtroom until 1798, before being dissolved entirely. When it regained its powers in 1843, members voted to move the meeting place to Reykjavík.
Information
On Rte 36, the Park Service Centre (ÞjónustumiðstöÐ; 482 2660; www.thingvellir.is) contains a cafe (open every day between February and mid-November, weekends only November, December and January, and a seasonal tourist desk, with books and maps for sale (open from 8.30am to 8pm Monday to Friday, till 10pm Saturday & Sunday May to mid-September).
Above the park, on top of the Almannagjá rift, is an interesting multimedia centre (admission free; 9am-7pm daily Jun-Aug, 9am-5pm daily Apr, May, Sep & Oct, 9am-5pm weekends Nov-Mar) exploring the area’s nature and history.
Sights & Activities
THE ALÞING
The Alþing used to convene annually at the Lögberg (Law Rock), between the Flosagjá and Nikulásargjá fissures. This was where the lögsögumaður (law speaker) recited the law to the assembled parliament each year. After Iceland’s conversion to Christianity, the site shifted to the foot of Almannagjá cliffs, which acted as a natural amplifier, broadcasting the voices of the speakers across the assembled crowds. The site is marked by a flagpole, and a path leads down to it from the multimedia centre at the top of Almannagjá.
Decisions were reached by the Lögrétta (Law Council), made up of 146 men (48 voting members, 96 advisers and two bishops) who are thought to have assembled at Neðrivellir (Low Fields), the flat area in front of the cliffs.
FISSURES & WATERFALLS
The Þingvellir plain is precariously situated on a tectonic plate boundary – here, North America and Europe are tearing away from each other at a rate of 1mm to 18mm per year. As a result, the plain is scarred by a series of dramatic