UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Iceland

UNESCO's Description

Þingvellir (Thingvellir) is the National Park where the Althing, an open-air assembly representing the whole of Iceland, was established in 930 and continued to meet until 1798. Over two weeks a year, the assembly set laws - seen as a covenant between free men - and settled disputes. The Althing has deep historical and symbolic associations for the people of Iceland. The property includes the Þingvellir National Park and the remains of the Althing itself: fragments of around 50 booths built from turf and stone. Remains from the 10th century are thought to be buried underground. The site also includes remains of agricultural use from the 18th and 19th centuries. The park shows evidence of the way the landscape was husbanded over 1,000 years.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Geology

Þingvellir is notable for its unusual tectonic and volcanic environment in a rift valley.

The continental drift between the North American and Eurasian Plates can be clearly seen in the cracks or faults which traverse the region, the largest one, Almannagjá, being a veritable canyon. This also causes the often measurable earthquakes in the area.

Some of the rifts are full of clear water. One, Nikulásargjá [ˈnɪːkʏˌlauːsarˌcauː], was bridged for the occasion of the visit of King Frederik VIII of Denmark in 1907. On this occasion, visitors began to throw coins from the bridge into the fissure, a tradition based on European legends. The bottom has become littered with sparkling coins, and the rift is now better known as Peningagjá [ˈpɛːniŋkaˌcauː], or "coin fissure".

History

Þingvellir became a national park as a result of legislation passed in 1928 to protect the remains of the parliament site, thus creating the first national park in Iceland. The park was decreed "a protected national shrine for all Icelanders, the perpetual property of the Icelandic nation under the preservation of parliament, never to be sold or mortgaged".

According to the Book of Settlements (Landnámabók), the settlement of Iceland began in 874, when the Norwegian chieftain Ingólfr Arnarson became the first permanent Norwegian settler on the island. Over the next centuries, people of Norse and Celtic origin settled in Iceland. Early on, district assemblies were formed, but as the population grew, there was a need for a general assembly.

Tourism

Þingvellir National Park is popular with tourists and is one of the three key attractions within the famous Golden Circle. There is a visitor centre, where visitors can obtain an interpretation of the history and nature of Þingvellir. There is an information centre near the camping grounds. There are hiking trails, such as the Execution Trail and the nearby Leggjabrjótur [ˈlɛcːaˌprjouːtʏr̥]. Scuba diving has also become popular at Silfra Lake as the continental drift between the tectonic plates made it wide enough for divers to enjoy unparalleled visibility.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q107370 (CC0).

Visiting Thingvellir National Park

Þingvellir National Park (pronounced Thingvetlir) is a world-heritage national park in South Iceland. The park is home to the world's longest-running Parliament, which was established in 930 AD. It has a dramatic landscape formed as a result of sitting along the border between the North American and European tectonic plates. Parts of the Game of Thrones TV series were shot in this park.

Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Þingvellir National Park (CC BY-SA 4.0).

UNESCO's Description

Surtsey, a volcanic island approximately 32 km from the south coast of Iceland, is a new island formed by volcanic eruptions that took place from 1963 to 1967. It is all the more outstanding for having been protected since its birth, providing the world with a pristine natural laboratory. Free from human interference, Surtsey has been producing unique long-term information on the colonisation process of new land by plant and animal life. Since they began studying the island in 1964, scientists have observed the arrival of seeds carried by ocean currents, the appearance of moulds, bacteria and fungi, followed in 1965 by the first vascular plant, of which there were 10 species by the end of the first decade. By 2004, they numbered 60 together with 75 bryophytes, 71 lichens and 24 fungi. Eighty-nine species of birds have been recorded on Surtsey, 57 of which breed elsewhere in Iceland. The 141 ha island is also home to 335 species of invertebrates.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Geology

The eruption was unexpected, and almost certainly began some days before it became apparent at the surface. The sea floor at the eruption site is 130 metres (430 feet) below sea level, and at this depth volcanic emissions and explosions would be suppressed, quenched and dissipated by the water pressure and density. Gradually, as repeated flows built up a mound of material that approached sea level, the explosions could no longer be contained, and activity broke the surface.

The first noticeable indications of volcanic activity were recorded at the seismic station in Kirkjubæjarklaustur, Iceland from 6 to 8 November 1963, which detected weak tremors emanating from an epicentre approximately west-south-west at a distance of 140 km (87 mi), the location of Surtsey.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q178124 (CC0).

Visiting Surtsey

Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands) is a town on the island of Heimaey. Heimaey is the largest of 15–18 islands in the Westman Islands archipelago, just off the south-west coast of Iceland's mainland. Vestmannaeyjar has a population of around 4,200.

Many visitors are attracted to the island in order to discover the effects of the 1973 volcanic eruption. An interactive exposition takes visitors to the "Pompeii of the North".

Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Vestmannaeyjar (CC BY-SA 4.0).

UNESCO's Description

This iconic volcanic region covers an area of over 1,400,000 ha, nearly 14% of Iceland's territory. It numbers ten central volcanoes, eight of which are subglacial. Two of these are among the most active in Iceland. The interaction between volcanoes and the rifts that underlie the Vatnajökull ice cap takes many forms, the most spectacular of which is the jökulhlaup – a sudden flood caused by the breach of the margin of a glacier during an eruption. This recurrent phenomenon has led to the emergence of unique sandur plains, river systems and rapidly evolving canyons. Volcanic areas are home to endemic groundwater fauna that has survived the Ice Age.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Geography and geology

Vatnajökull is Europe's largest glacier outside the arctic, with a surface area of 8,100 km2. Generally measuring 400–600 m in thickness and at the most 950 m, the glacial ice conceals a number of mountains, valleys and plateaus. It even hides some active central volcanoes, of which Bárðarbunga is the largest and Grímsvötn the most active. While the icecap rises at its highest to over 2,000 m above sea level, the glacier base reaches its lowest point 300 m below sea level. Nowhere in Iceland, with the exception of Mýrdalsjökull glacier, does more precipitation fall or more water drain to the sea than on the south side of Vatnajökull.

Climate

The weather can vary considerably in an area as extensive as that covered by the National Park with its wide range of elevations. Precipitation in low-lying areas south of the Vatnajökull ice cap is considerable, ranging from 1,000 mm a year to 3,000 mm per year. Temperatures range between 10 °C and 20 °C in summer, while winters are rather mild (the thermometer rarely falls below −10 °C and the temperature is often well above freezing point).

In the mountains and on the ice cap itself, annual precipitation can reach to between 4,000 and 5,000 mm, for the most part in the form of snow. The depth of snow on Öræfajökull after a high-precipitation winter is between 10 and 15 m. Some of the snow will melt, while the rest forms glacial ice.

History

Vatnajökull National Park was established on 7 June 2008. When established, the park covered an area of 12,000 km2, but with later additions of Lakagígar, Langisjór, Krepputunga [ˈkʰrɛhpʏˌtʰuŋka] and Jökulsárlón (including its surrounding areas) it now covers 14,967 km2 or approximately 14% of Iceland, making it Europe's second largest national park in terms of area after Yugyd Va in Russia.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q1353292 (CC0).

Visiting Vatnajökull National Park

Vatnajökull National Park in Iceland is the second largest national park in Europe (the largest is Yugyd Va in Komi, Russia) and a natural world heritage site. The park was founded on 7 June 2008 and includes the former Skaftafell and Jökulsárgljúfur National Parks. Containing 12,000 km2 (4,600 sq mi), the park covers about 14% of the surface of Iceland. At 2,106 metres, the park is home to Iceland's highest mountain (Hvannadalshnúkur), largest glacier (Vatnajökull), and Europe's most powerful waterfall (Dettifoss). The former Jökulsárgljúfur park is covered in its own article, in addition to the area around Jökulsárlón, a large glacial lake.

Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Vatnajökull National Park (CC BY-SA 4.0).