I have been writing about the main turf houses in Iceland in my travel blogs, and now I want to show you the turf houses in the Mývatn area by Grænavatn lake. It is called Grænavatn turf house or Green Lake turf house.
Grænavatn is a settlement farm, so there might have been a turf house in this same location since the Vikings settled in Iceland.
Top photo: The Majestic Grænavatn Turf House at Mývatn
Grænavatn turf house
This is a large turf house; the front house is 30 m long and 8 m wide, and some of the turf outbuildings remain.
The turf house at Grænavatn is an example of how turf houses were built before Iceland's building style changed.
The front house is one of the largest of its kind built at that time in Iceland.
I revisited Grænavatn in the summer of 2025
Here is the description on the UNESCO website on Grænavatn turf house: "The timber front house is original, and its form has been preserved.
The layout of the turf-house ruin is intact and clearly visible.
Some restoration work has been carried out, although material renewal has been minimal. Only the central house is present, as well as some of the outhouses.
The agricultural landscape is still prominent".
Grænavatn turf house
The main house at Grænavatn was built in 1913. It is a two-storey timber house with a turf roof, and the north- and south-facing walls are made of lava rocks (slates).
It is divided into two, as it was built for two families, and two carpenters built each part of the house.
Behind the turf house, there are ruins of an even bigger turf house. Here, the inhabitants used to live during the winter months, and the front house of this newer turf house replaced the front house of the older turf house.
There are two separate cellars beneath the turf house.
An old turf outhouse at Grænavatn
The structure in the 2 photos above and below is an outhouse, a cowshed.
This cowshed is around 160 years old, and it might even be older. There are many other turf outhouse ruins on the land of Grænavatn.
The farmers are not opposed to our having a look at the main turfhouse, and I had a look at the old cowshed, but I zoomed in on the others because I didn't want to trespass and disturb the people living at Grænavatn farm.
The same turf outhouse 10 years later in 2025
As this turf farm isn't a museum and is mainly used as storage, we didn't get to visit the inside. We only examined it from the outside and walked around it to have a closer look.
We met one of the people living at Grænavatn at the Mývatn information center at Skútustaðir, and he told us that there were plans to open the turf house to the public, which would, of course, be great.
And maybe offer some refreshments if they get the permit. I hope this happens so more people can see this beautiful turf house.
Ruins of old turf outhouse at Grænavatn
Turf houses in Iceland vary according to the local materials. Since Mývatn is a lava area, lava was used for the building of the outer walls.
I find the turf houses at Grænavatn to be so beautiful. These turf houses are all unique, and the one at Grænavatn is ever so majestic.
People lived in these turf houses until the mid-20th century, and Grænavatn has been part of the National Museum's Historic Buildings Collection since 2000, although I cannot see it on their webpage.
Grænavatn turf house is made from turf and lava rocks
The Grænavatn turf house cannot be seen from the main road, but it is located off Ring Road 1, midway between Skútustaðir pseudocraters and Dimmuborgir lava formations and pillars.
It is located on the farmer's land at Grænavatn, so let's be respectful as we take a look at this beautiful turf house.
To reach Mývatn, you can rent a car in Reykjavík and drive north in a couple of days, as there are many lovely stops on the way up north.
Grænavatn turf house
Here are some of the other turf houses in Iceland I have visited and written about:
A List of the Icelandic Turf Houses, which I have visited on my Travels in Iceland
Visiting these turf houses is a passion of mine, and I hope you enjoy reading about them as much as I enjoy visiting them :)
At Hverir geothermal area
I have also written many travel blogs about the Mývatn region and summed it all up in: The amazing Mývatn & Krafla Area in North Iceland - a Compilation of the wonderful Sights.
Have a lovely time at Mývatn :)
