AYS·lund - /ajˈslʌnd/
Alternatively called Snæland (Snowland) in the Landnámabók and Íslendingabók.
Straddling the continental drift, with 30+ volcanic systems and glaciers covering more than 10% of the island's exclusively volcanic crust, Iceland is a true land of Fire & Ice; with 🔎 Blue Lagoons and Black Diamond beaches galore.
@ a glance essentials:
.
Language:
Icelandic
-
Icelandic Krona
Water safety
Safe to Drink - (hot tap may smell eggy - sourced from geothermal springs, but still safe)
Nearly all Locals can speak excellent English
Currency:
ISK
Local Transport
There is a bus network in large cities but remote areas will require a car.
Iceland is stunning but can be deadly - take safety warnings seriously and be aware of your surroundings, a lot of natural sites do not have guard rails or ropes, e.g.
Hot Tip:
Discovered by Vikings in the 860's AD Iceland was initially thought too harsh for colonization, until a desperate Norwegian chieftain, needed a place to flee from King Harald Fairhair. The 1st settlers were a decentralized, monarch-free commonwealth 🔍 in the Norse tradition (with an Althing to resolve disputes & legislate that still meets today; the world's oldest continuous legislative assembly) but with constant infighting between chiefs, Iceland eventually negotiated the Gamli sáttmáli (Old Covenant) submitting to Norwegian sovereignty for stability in 1262 AD.
a bit of background...
........................ Small, ancient pure bred Icelandic horses have two additional unique gaits: the smooth Tölt & the flying pace, Skeið, .a synchronized gait were right & left sides move together. Brought to the island by the vikings and isolated ever since, foreign horses are forbidden from being imported, and any Icelandic horse that leaves is never permitted to return to protect the breed.
Fun Fact:
Norway, however, imposed an annual tribute; skatt, (paid in stockfish or woolen cloth, e.g.,) which proved a drain on the island's resources. Following the Kalmar Union in 1397, Norway, and thus Iceland, was brought under Danish rule which, combined with natural disasters like volcanic eruptions killing livestock, fisheries & crops†, further exacerbated the island's poverty. When the union dispersed in 1814 Iceland was left to Danish rule (in exchange for Denmark ceding Norway to Sweden.)
In the 19c a renewed interest in the medieval sagas, folklore, and distinctive Icelandic language strengthened a growing nationalism. The Althing was revived in 1843, by 1854 Copenhagen's exclusive control over trade was repealed and in 1879 they transition to home rule. Then after a referendum for independence the 🔎 Kingdom of Iceland became a sovereign state 🔍 "in a personal union with Denmark" in 1918.
In 1944, during WWII, the 🔎 Republic of Iceland was formally established, severing ties with Denmark (who was occupied by Germany at the time.) And as Europe's most sparsely populated country, with no standing army, Iceland joined NATO as a founding member for security after the war.
† The Laki volcanic fissure eruption in 1783-84In the ensuing famine, approximately 20% of Iceland's population (~10,000 people) died from starvation, malnutrition, and disease, making it one of the deadliest per capita events in European history.
Must Try Local Cuisine:
Graflax - salmon cured in salt, sugar & dill ∞ Hardfiskur - dried fermented† cod or halibut
Pylsur (the Icelandic Hot Dog 🌭) - bread stuffed w/ sausage, chopped onion & Apple Ketchup or...
Remolaði - Icelandic sauce based on mayonnaise, vinegar, onion & pickle
Kjötsúpa - lamb soup ∞ Hangikjöt - sliced smoked lamb in béchamel sauce
Svið - a sheep’s head (fur & brains removed) w/ mashed potatoes.(eyes considered a prime delicacy)
Skyr - a thick condensed-milk yogurt ∞ Licorice Ice-Cream 🍦††
➿➰➿
* Using the oldest known preservation technique, exposure to cold & wind on outdoor wooden racks, cured by cold-adapted bacteria (no salt, similar to maturing cheese)
** Ice-Cream is surprising popular for such a cold climate, many Icelanders eat it daily
I haven't yet had the opportunity to visit
Iceland
(but it's on the list!) - So I don't have any personal
(If you get there first send me your best finds !)
recommendations yet, but you can start with the most popular spots
below, and I'll update with my favorites, hopefully soon!
Most Known For:
♦️ Hot Springs - outdoor geothermal pools like the 🔎 Blue Lagoon spa w/ milky-blue water in a
black lava field, Lake Mývatn's Nature Baths (near Pseudocraters & Dimmuborgir lava
formations)& Snorralaug, the personal hot spring pool built c. ~1200 by Snorri Sturluson's
(author of the Prose Edda) @ Reykholt
🔸 Reykjavík w/ Hallgrímskirkja church 🔍 & the Settlement Exhibition built at an excavated
Viking longhouse
♦️ Volcanoes: there are ~30 active volcanic systems on the island like Fagradalsfjall (2021-23
eruptions) or the 2023-25 eruptions near Grindavík.
🔸 Black Sands Beaches like Reynisfjara w/ basalt sea stacks. or Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon &
Diamond Beach were icebergs calve from Vatnajökull (Europe’s largest glacier); Vatnajökull National Park also
has natural blue ice caves
♦️ Viking Sites like Þjóðveldisbærinn (Commonwealth Farm) a full-scale reconstruction of turf-roofed
Stöng longhouse buried by a volcanic eruption, Eiríksstaðir; Erik the Red’s Homestead,
Keldur Turf House w/ underground passage that legend says was used by outlaws in saga times,
Hofstemple: full-scale replica of a Norse pagan temple (hof) & the Viking World Museum with the
Íslendingur: a replica Viking ship that sailed to New York in 2000 or the Hvolsvöllur Saga Centre
dedicated to Njáls Saga (the most famous Icelandic saga).
🔸 Stunning nature like Stuðlagil Canyon of basalt columns w/ turquoise river, Skógafoss waterfall famous
for rainbow photos, Seljalandsfoss were you can walk behind the fall, the tiered Dynjandi waterfall or
Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon a mossy, winding canyon made famous by Justin Bieber’s “I’ll Show You” video.
♦️ Roadtrips like The Ring Road - 1,332 km road circling the entire country, or the shorter Golden Circle route;
classic day-tour trio that includes:
Þingvellir National Park: Site of world’s oldest still-extant parliament, the Alþingi and the tectonic rift / Mid-Atlantic Ridge, boundary where the North American & Eurasian plates separate at a rate of 1-2 cm per year,
Geysir Strokkur (the erupting hot spring)
Gullfoss (the “Golden Waterfall”)
🔸 Whale 🐳 Watching in Húsavík (“Whale Watching Capital of Europe”) or from whale-watching boats in Reykjavík
♦️ Northern Lights / Aurora Borealis (Sept–April)
🔸 Hiking in Landmannalaugar & Þórsmörk: rainbow-colored rhyolite mountains, the Snæfellsnes Peninsula
(called “Iceland in Miniature”) w/ Kirkjufell mountain & arrowhead peak, Kerlingarfjöll highland area:
red & orange geothermal mountains. Vestrahorn & Stokksnes black dunes & mountain
👀 NOTABLE ICELANDERS:
⚔️ Leifur Eiríksson (Leif the Lucky) & Thorfinn Karlsefni | Viking Explorers 🎤 Bjork | Singer
𓂃🪶 Snorri Sturluson | Historian, Poet, & Politician
👣
🌀 Þjóðhátíð | Vestmannaeyjar (Aug) - long weekend National Festival, Iceland’s biggest outdoor festival;
massive camping party with bonfires, concerts & fireworks.
🌀 Sólmánuður / (Return of the) Sun ☀️ Festival (Jan.) (especially in Westfjords) &
Winter Lights Festival | Reykjavík (Feb.) celebrating the return of daylight after winter w/ light installations,
museum nights & events.
🌀 New Year’s Eve | Reykjavík – one of the wildest NYE in Europe w/ community bonfires & insane fireworks.
🌀 Secret Solstice | Reykjavík (June) – midsummer music festival famous for midnight sun parties, events inside
glaciers, lava tunnels, and a lagoon stage. (On hiatus since 2020)
Site Key:
Five Star Recommend
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