Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Decisions were reached by the Lögrétta (Law Council), made up of 146 men (48 voting
members, 96 advisers and two bishops), who are thought to have assembled at
Neðrivellir
(Low Fields), the flat area in front of the cliffs.
Þingvellir Visitors Centre
VISITORS CENTRE
At the top of the Almannagjá rift is a simple visitors ventre with a video on the area's
nature and history, and a shop. The small adjacent boardwalk offers great valley views. At
the time of research an expansion was underway. Toilets cost Ikr200. You can park here
and walk down, or walk up from the Alþingi site.
Þingvallavatn
LAKE
Filling much of the rift plain, Þingvallavatn is Iceland's largest lake, at 84 sq km. Pure gla-
cial water from Langjökull filters through bedrock for 40km before emerging here. It's
joined by the hot spring Vellankatla, which spouts from beneath the lava field on the north-
eastern shore. Þingvallavatn is an important refuelling stop for
migrating birds
(including
the great northern diver, barrow's golden-eye and harlequin duck).
Weirdly, its waters are full of
bleikja
(Arctic char) that have been isolated for so long
that they've evolved into four subspecies.
Activities
One of the most other-worldly activities in Iceland is strapping on a scuba mask (or
snorkel) and wetsuit and exploring the crystalline
Silfra fissure
, one of the cracks in the
rift valley. You must book ahead with a Reykjavík dive operator (
Click here
)
. People with
their own equipment must have licences, dive in groups of at least two, and buy the permit
(Ikr1000) from the visitors centre.
You can also check in with park centres for
lake fishing
rules (some areas are off-lim-
its), and get a permit (Ikr2000 per pole per day; 20 April to 15 September).
In the valley on the Rte 36 approach from Reykjavík, you can go horse riding with
Laxnes
.
