Top 20 Natural Monuments around Þjóðgarðurinn á Þingvöllum

The National Museum has an interesting exhibition about the proclamation of the republic here in 1944—in pouring rain, but still with a significant portion of the population at that time. Anyone with time should definitely check it out to understand why this valley is still so deeply rooted in the country's cultural history.

Þingvellir (or Thingvellir) National Park in Iceland is a unique geological location. It is the place where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates move apart. This separation is very clearly visible in the park, making it one of the few places in the world where you can see this phenomenon so clearly. The park is located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the plates here are drifting apart at a rate of about 2 to 2.5 centimeters per year. This results in spectacular geological features such as deep gorges filled with very cold and clear water, fissures, cracks, waterfalls, subsidence and fault surfaces.

Very nice place with lots of parking spaces and entrances. The P2 parking lot is generally very full, as most people intuitively use it due to its proximity to the waterfall. All the places you can visit there are therefore very well distributed. There are also good quality toilets there. Many tour operators offer day trips in small group buses.

It is unimaginable what forces must have been at work here when these continental plates formed. Why do people always think they are above everything? When nature uses its powers, people are insignificant 😉. I was very impressed by this short hike between the continental plates.

Lögberg, also known as the Whetstone, is a rocky outcropping in southwestern Iceland, on the site of the meeting of the country's Althing parliament. The original Althing was collected in Þingvellir, an area of dramatic landscapes easily accessible from the populated areas of the southwest. The exact location of Lögberg is unknown, due to the changing geography of the rift valley over 1,000 years. Two possible sites have been identified at Þingvellir, one a flat ridge at the top of a slope called Hallurinn (currently marked by a flagpole), the other in the Almannagjá fault against a rock face. The Lögberg was the place where the legislature (lögsögumaður) took his seat as the presiding officer of the assembly of the Althing. Speeches and announcements were made from this spot. Everyone present could make their argument from the Lögberg. The meetings were also called and dissolved from there. The Lögberg fulfilled its purpose from the founding of the parliament in 930. It ceased to be used in 1262, when Iceland swore allegiance to Norway.

Snorrabud is an important historical site, located in Þingvellir National Park. It is the founding location of Iceland as it was the site of the country's first parliament. The views from here are absolutely stunning. You can even go diving here if you're brave enough to brave the icy waters, where you can see the tectonic plates from a completely different perspective.

Located in the Þingvellir National Park, Flosagjá is an impressive gorge that is part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This gorge, which contains crystal clear water that maintains a constant temperature of 3-4°C all year round, is a remarkable natural wonder. Flosagjá is about 730 meters long and reaches a depth of about 25 meters. It is named after Flosi Þórðarson, an important character in the Brennu-Njáls saga, who is said to have jumped the gorge to escape his enemies.

'Peningagjá' is a term from Icelandic and can be split into two parts: 'peninga' and 'gjá'. 'Peninga' means 'coin' and 'gjá' means 'crack' or 'gorge'. So, 'Peningagjá' can be translated as 'Cracked Coin'. This name comes from the tradition where visitors throw coins into the clear waters of the crevice in the hope of luck and fortune. It is important to note that authorities have now decided to stop this practice to preserve nature.