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Interesting Places in North Iceland
MyvatnMývatn is a shallow eutrophic lake situated in an area of active volcanism in the north of Iceland, not far from Krafla volcano and 99 km west of Akureyri. The lake and its surrounding wetlands have an exceptionally rich fauna of waterbirds, especially ducks. The lake was created by a large basaltic lava eruption 2300 years ago, and the surrounding landscape is dominated by volcanic landforms, including lava pillars and rootless vents (pseudocraters). The name of the lake (Icelandic "mý" = midge, "vatn" = lake; the lake of midges) comes from the huge numbers of flies (midges) to be found there in the summer.Dimmuborgir (dimmu "dark", borgir "cities" (or "forts"), is a large area of unusually shaped lava fields east of Mývatn. The Dimmuborgir area is composed of various caves and rock formations, remnants of volcanic activity that are perhaps reminiscent of an ancient collapsed citadel, with columns spewing plumes of sulfuric smoke.
AkureyriAkureyri is a town in the northern part of Iceland about 450 km from Reykjavik; it is the second largest urban area after Greater Reykjavík area.Akureyri is located at the bottom-west side of the fjord Eyjafjörður. It is surrounded by mountains, the highest being Súlur 1213 m (3980 ft) and Hlíðarfjall 1116 m (3661 ft). The coast in the area is a narrow strip of flat land before a steep but low hill. Permanent settlement at Akureyri started in 1778 and the town was granted its municipal charter by the king of Denmark (and at the time Iceland also) eight years later in 1786 along with five other towns in Iceland. The king hoped to improve the living conditions of Icelanders by this action because at the time, urban areas were virtually non-existent in Iceland and had never existed. As far as the king was concerned Akureyri was unsuccessful, as it did not grow from its population of 12. In 1836 Akureyri lost its municipal status but gained it back in 1862. From that point, Akureyri started to grow because of the excellent port conditions and perhaps more because of the productive agricultural region around it. Industries processing agricultural products became the backbone of the city and spurred its further growth.
HusavikHusavik is a small town in the north of Iceland on the shores of Skjálfandi bay.The income of the inhabitants is derived from tourism and fishing, as well as retail and small industry. Húsavík has become a centre of whale watching in the north due to whales of different species that frequently enter the bay. It is also home to the Icelandic Phallological Museum, which contains specimens from every mammal that lives in Iceland.
AsbyrgiÁsbyrgi canyon lies in the north of Iceland, about two hours' drive to the east from Akureyri. The enormous, horseshoe-shaped depression is part of the Jökulsárgljúfur National Park and measures approximately 3.5 km in length and 1.1 km across. For more than half of its length, the canyon is divided through the middle by a distinctive rock formation 25 meters high called Eyjan , from which hikers may enjoy spectacular views.The canyon's steep sides are formed by cliffs up to 100 metres in height. Down in the canyon, visitors walk through a woodland of birch and willow. Between 1947 and 1977, a number of foreign tree species were introduced, including fir, larch and pine. A small lake called Botnstjörn is home to a variety of waterfowl species.Ásbyrgi was most likely formed by catastrophic glacial flooding of the river Jökulsá á Fjöllum after the last Ice Age, first 8-10,000 years ago, and then again some 3,000 years ago. The river has since changed its course and now runs about 2 km to the east. The legend explains the unusual shape of the canyon differently. Nicknamed Sleipnir's footprint, it is said that the canyon was formed when Odin's eight-legged horse, Sleipnir, touched one of its feet to the ground here. Legend also relates that the canyon is the capital city of the "hidden people, who live in cracks within the surrounding cliffs.
Jokulsargljufur National ParkJökulsárgljúfur National Park is situated in the north of Iceland around the river Jökulsá á Fjöllum. It lies to the north of the famous Dettifoss waterfall.The National Park is fascinating because of its chaotic canyon and volcanic mountains. 8000 years ago, a volcano erupted directly underneath the river. This caused powerful explosions due to the combination of fire, gas and water. The mountains around the river were blown up and only ruins left of them, mixed with lava formations. That is what makes the park so distinctive.The center of the park is Hljóðarklettar (rock of echoes). Rauðholar (red mountain) is the most beautiful mountain of the park because of its special colouring.
DettifossDettifoss waterfall located in northeastern Iceland, not far from Mývatn. It is situated on the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river, which flows from the Vatnajökull glacier and collects water from a large area in north-east Iceland.It is reputed to be the most powerful waterfall in Europe, having a flow variously estimated at between 200 and 500 cubic metres of water per second, depending on the season and the summer ice melt. The falls are 100 m wide and have a drop of 44 m down to the Jökulsárgljúfur canyon.
KraflaKrafla is a caldera of about 10 km in diameter with a 90 km long fissure zone, in the north of Iceland in the Mývatn region. Its highest peak reaches up to 818 m.Krafla includes one of the two best known Víti craters of Iceland, the second is part of Askja. The Icelandic word "víti" means "hell". In former times, people often believed Hell to be under volcanoes. The crater Víti has a green lake inside of it.The Krafla area also includes Námafjall, a geothermal area with boiling mudpools and steaming fumaroles. During the years 1724-29, there were the so-called Mývatn fires. A lot of fissure vents opened up and the lava fountains could be seen even in the south of the island. The last volcanic eruption at Krafla took place in 1984.Since 1977 the geothermal energy has been put to use by means of a 60 MW power station.
AskjaAskja is a stratovolcano situated in a remote part of the central highlands of Iceland. The name Askja refers to a complex of nested calderas within the surrounding Dyngjufjöll mountains, which rise to 1,510m.The region is only accessible for a few months of the year. Being situated in the rain-shadow to the NE of the Vatnajökull icecap, the area receives only about 450 mm of rainfall annually. The area was used during training for the Apollo program to prepare astronauts for potential lunar conditions. Askja was virtually unknown until the tremendous eruption which started on March 29, 1875. Especially in the eastern fjords of Iceland, the ashfall was heavy enough to poison the land and kill livestock. Ash, or tephra from this eruption was wind-blown to Norway and Sweden. The eruption triggered a substantial wave of emigration from Iceland. Another less well-known eruption occurred in the early Holocene, ca 11,000 years ago. Tephra from this eruption has been found in south-east Sweden, Northern Ireland and north Norway. The last eruption of the Askja was in 1961. The outer caldera of Askja, representing a prehistoric eruption, is about 45 km², and there is evidence of other later caldera-forming events within it. The main crater floor lies at about 1,100m.
OskjuvatnOskjuvatn is a large lake that fills much of the smaller caldera resulting from the 1875 eruption. Its surface lies about 50m below the level of the main crater floor and covers about 12km².When the lake originally formed it was warm, but today it is frozen over for most of the year. Öskjuvatn is the deepest lake in Iceland at 220 m deep. Viti is a geothermal lake at Askja. In 1907, the German scientists Walter von Knebel and Max Rudloff visited Askja to study the caldera. While exploring Öskjuvatn in a small boat, they disappeared without a trace. Von Knebel's fiancée Ina von Grumbkow led an expedition to search for them, but no indication of what happened to them was ever found.In the Dyngjufjöll mountains which surround the Askja caldera can be found the impressive Drekagil, the canyon of dragons. Not far from Askja, there are two other interesting volcanic systems: Herðubreið and Kverkfjöll. Askja is a popular tourist destination. There are two mountain huts and a campsite at Dreki, by Drekagil, which is about 100km by unpaved road from the Icelandic ring-road. A dirt road climbs 8km up from Dreki into the Askja caldera. It is a walk of about 2.5km from the car park to Öskjuvatn and Víti. The roads are usually only open for about two or three months in high summer.
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