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Many of the country's best known tourist attractions are in South Iceland. No wonder, since the area has a wealth of natural wonders and historical sites. Hot springs and geothermal heat make their impact on culture in the area, as well as on the rich history of the region.

South Iceland stretches from Þingvellir in the west to the black sands and glacial rivers on the western ridges of Vatnajökull. Þingvellir, a World Heritage Site, is only a half an hour?s drive from the capital and from there the Geysir hot spring area and waterfall Gullfoss can be reached within an hour. Together these three form the Golden Circle, the most popular day tour in Iceland (see article on p. 144). This area is strongly influenced by geothermal heat, most visibly in the "green-house villages" Hveragerði and Flúðir, where plants that would not survive in the Icelandic climate are grown. In this same area is the ancient bishopric Skálholt which was a leading educational institution in Iceland for centuries. Most of what has been preserved of medieval manuscripts was originally kept there. A little farther east you will come to Þjórsárdalur valley, the site of a flourishing Settlement Age community that was destroyed by an enormous volcanic eruption of Mount Hekla in 1104. After extensive archaeological research in the 1970's a medieval farm was reconstructed there, which now open to the public in summer.

In recent years many ambitious museums have been opened in South Iceland. The town Stokkseyri is leading in this sector with three museums: The Ghost Centre, the Icelandic Wonders museum, which features material on elves, trolls and the Northern Lights, and a hunting museum. The Geysir Centre has a multimedia exhibition on natural forces, where you get to feel an earthquake and see how it looks inside an ice cave. Yet another interesting museum is the Saga centre in Hvolsvöllur, an exhibition on one the most beloved Icelandic sagas, Njála.

The area around Mýrdalsjökull glacier is in many ways a notable one. To the north of the glacier lies Þórsmörk, a natural paradise with more vegetation than most of the Icelandic highlands. On your way there, just a nudge of the main road, you pass a curious waterfall, Seljalandsfoss, that falls in such a manner that you can walk behind it. On the southern side of Mýrdalsjökull there is another beautiful waterfall, Skógafoss, near which one of the most complete local heritage museums in Iceland is sited. Further to the east, vegetation gradually diminishes. This area is frequently flooded by glacial rivers from Vatnajökull which is therefore hard to cultivate, so it is much characterized by wide, black sands. Off the south coast lie the Westman Islands, yet another witness to Earth's powers. In 1973 an eruption shook the largest and only inhabited island, so the entire population had to be evacuated. Later, many returned and built up a new village on the island. The lava that flowed in this eruption is still flaming hot, just a few centimetres under the surface.

For more information on what to do in South Iceland, visit www.south.is.

Our photogalleries include many more photos from the south: Þingvellir National Park, Mount Esja and the Geysir hot springs area. 

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