Þingvellir Rift Valley
These strange columns in Þingvellir National Park are due to it being a rift valley—this is literally where the Eurasian and North American continental plates are pulling apart from one another.
Þingvellir (pronounced Thingg-veklir) is a motherlode of Icelandic culture, history, and geography. The National Park lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. Part of Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland, lies within the park’s boundaries.
Þingvellir was the site of the Alþing, the annual parliament of Iceland from the year 930 until 1798.
The name Þingvellir is derived þing (“thing, assembly”) and vǫllr (“field”), meaning ‘assembly fields’. Compare the English thing and weald (“Thingweald”) from Anglo-Saxon þing and weald.
Þingvellir National Park is popular with tourists and is one of the three key attractions within the famous Golden Circle. Consequently, it can get a little crowded around key hotspots such as the visitor centre and the boardwalks leading to it from the car parks, but with such a vast area and a large number of hiking trails, I found it easy to awat from the crowds and enjoy this stunning natural landscape.
This description incorporates text from the English Wikipedia.
Þingvellir Rift Valley
These strange columns in Þingvellir National Park are due to it being a rift valley—this is literally where the Eurasian and North American continental plates are pulling apart from one another.
Þingvellir (pronounced Thingg-veklir) is a motherlode of Icelandic culture, history, and geography. The National Park lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. Part of Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland, lies within the park’s boundaries.
Þingvellir was the site of the Alþing, the annual parliament of Iceland from the year 930 until 1798.
The name Þingvellir is derived þing (“thing, assembly”) and vǫllr (“field”), meaning ‘assembly fields’. Compare the English thing and weald (“Thingweald”) from Anglo-Saxon þing and weald.
Þingvellir National Park is popular with tourists and is one of the three key attractions within the famous Golden Circle. Consequently, it can get a little crowded around key hotspots such as the visitor centre and the boardwalks leading to it from the car parks, but with such a vast area and a large number of hiking trails, I found it easy to awat from the crowds and enjoy this stunning natural landscape.
This description incorporates text from the English Wikipedia.