Thingvellier National Park, Iceland

Þingvellir (Thingvellir)

National Park is a 228 km2 protected landscape located in the Southern region of Iceland, just 40 km east of Reykjavik, the nation’s capital. It was established as the first national park in Iceland in 1930 as part of the Þingvellir Conservation Act from two years prior. Þingvellir’s importance in Iceland predates its establishment. The park’s name translates to ‘the fields of parliament,’ linking it to the year 874, when Norse occupation of Iceland began. The newly settled Norse people were looking for a collective meeting location where they could come together to create laws and settle disputes – a tradition that became known as Alþingi. This practice ended on Þingvellir’s land in 1798, although the general practice continues to this day in Reykjavik. This makes Þingvellir the original location of the longest-running, still occurring parliament in the world. The park is considered a spiritual center and an icon of Icelandic nationalism. It was on these grounds that the Icelandic people left behind the Old Norse belief system of Asatru and converted to Christianity in the year 1000. It was here that independence from Denmark was declared, and the nation’s first president confirmed. Þingvellir lies within an elongated graben on the Mid-Atlantic rift zone that divides Iceland between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. Lava fields, deep ravines, and stunning lakes are interspersed with huge fissures associated with the rift zone. Scientists estimate that the valley floor has subsided 3-4 meters since the founding of Alþingi, subsidence that will only increase in the centuries to come. Tectonic activity is not the only threat of change in the park, humans are as well. People have built summer houses on the shores of Lake Þingvallavatn – a rift valley lake that is the largest natural lake in Iceland. Thousands of people visit the park each year, disrupting local flora and fauna. They are drawn to Silfra, the ice-cold ravine fed by glacier water so clear that snorkelers can see unobstructed for over a hundred meters, and to enclosed park ravines that served as filming locations for Game of Thrones. The park is encircled by a belt of mountains on three sides and housed in the sub-polar birch woodland climate (Cfc in Köppen classification). One hundred and seventy-two species of plants have been found in the area, representing about 40 percent of the Icelandic flora. Birches and willows transform the park into a watercolor of orange and red in the fall. The famous Great Northern Diver birds sit grouchy and protective along the edges of Lake Þingvallavatn. Foxes hideout in hillocks and descendants of minks held in captivity during the fur trade now roam the hillsides. Trails crisscross the park and hikers can trek easily to the stunning Öxarárfoss Waterfall and take a jaunt to Lögberg (“Law Rock”), the location of Alþingi’s assembly. Those in search of some darker history can travel to Drekkingarhylur (“Drowning Pool”) where at least 18 women were executed in the 17th and 18th centuries. The original park boundaries, drawn in 1930 were expanded in 2004. That same year the original territory was inscribed on the World Heritage List. Managed by the Þingvellir Commission, four permanent staff work at the park year-round. Seasonal rangers operate from April to November: supervising, conducting maintenance, and doing interpretive work. Experts from the Archaeological Heritage Agency of Iceland are consulted on preservation efforts. Since 2004 the park has been extremely well-preserved. Trails are well-marked, bridges maintained, and the visitor center gets glowing reviews. Interpretive panels offer guests copious amounts of information on the park’s history and biodiversity. Crowds tend to pack the park, which can be seen as either environmental sacrilege or a show of appreciation for the parks natural beauty.