Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SÆMUNDUR AND THE SEAL
Sæmundur Sigfússon
is the subject of several legends, including one in which the devil
- disguised as a seal - offered to carry him back to Iceland from France so that Sæmundur
could apply for the post at Oddi. When they were within sight of the shore, the resourceful
Sæmundur brained the devil with a psalter, swam to safety, and got the job. Less to his credit,
he's also held responsible for causing Hekla's 1104 eruption by tossing a keepsake from a jilted
lover - who turned out to be a witch - into the volcano.
2
Oddi
Not mentioned in
Njál's Saga
, though of a similar vintage,
ODDI
's couple of houses and
prominent, red-roofed
church
, all set on the only hill for miles around, are 5km
southwest down the highway from Hella and then the same distance directly south
along Route 266. Though you'd hardly credit it today from the modern church's
location and plain decor, Oddi was once famous: the French-educated
Sæmundur
Sigfússon
became priest here in 1078 and established an ecclesiastical school, whose
later alumni included thirteenth-century lawspeaker, historian and diplomat Snorri
Sturlusson (see p.154) and St Þorlákur Þórhallsson.
Hvolsvöllur
Eleven kilometres southwest down the Ringroad from Hella you reach
HVOLSVÖLLUR
,
a few short streets at the edge of the broad
Markarfljót valley
, whose intricately tangled
streams flow down from Þórsmörk, over to the east between the Eyjafjallajökull and
Mýrdalsjökull ice caps.
Hvolsvöllur makes a good place to get to grips with
Njál's Saga
; you're close to the
settings for some of the most important scenes in the tale, and Hvolsvöllur itself - or
rather the farm, Völlur, 5km north - was the homestead of Mörð Fiddle, grandfather
to the tale's arch-villain, Mörð Valgardsson. On a practical note, the town is also the
last place to stock up on
provisions
before heading on to Þórsmörk.
The Saga Centre
Hlíðarvegur 14 • May 15-Sept 15 daily 9am-6pm • 750kr •
W
njala.is
Hvolsvöllur's main attraction is the
Saga Centre
, just off the highway down Route 261.
The bulk of this museum explores the saga period, with replica clothes and artefacts,
and models of Viking houses and ships, maps, dioramas and paintings showing the
location of local sites and the extent of Viking travels across the northern hemisphere.
There's also a Viking-style
Saga Hall
, complete with wooden beams and horsehide rugs,
which is the venue for occasional “saga feasts” - a couple of fun hours' worth of food
and storytelling, with the staff dressed up in period costume.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
HVOLSVÖLLUR
By bus
Buses stop - often for a suspiciously long time - at
the N1 roadhouse; you might need to change services here
for Þórsmörk.
Destinations
Hella (4 daily; 10min); Hveragerði (3 daily;
55min); Kirkjubæjarklaustur (1 daily; 3hr); Reykjavík
(3 daily; 1hr 55min); Selfoss (3 daily; 1hr); Seljalandsfoss
(4 daily; 35min), Skaftafell (1 daily; 5hr 45min), Skógar
(2 daily; 50min); Vík (2 daily; 2hr); Þórsmörk (2 daily; 1hr
25min).
By car
Hvolsvöllur is inland from the Ringroad, where
Route 261 kinks east at the N1 fuel station and Hliðarendi
roadhouse.
SERVICES
Along the highway
Hvolsvöllur's bank, post o
ce and
Kjaraval supermarket (Mon-Fri 9am-9pm, Sat & Sun
10am-9pm) are all on the highway near the N1 roadhouse.
Swimming pool
The recently modernized pool (daily
10am-4pm) is signposted a few streets back from the
highway on Vallabraut.
