Matkaopas: Brunnhorn

Brunnhorn is a little-known, jagged mountain in south-east Iceland. It often nicknamed the Batman Mountain due to its distinctive shape, giving it the appearance of bat ears.

Description of Brunnhorn

Brunnhorn is most often seen to the east of Vestrahorn, a much more well-known mountain located to the south of the town of Höfn. Like Vestrahorn, it is composed of a rock type called gabbro. Gabbro is known for its dark colouration and the fact it is pregnant with many minerals, most notably iron and magnesium; at Brunnhorn, deposits of gold and silver have also been discovered.

Brunnhorn has three distinctive peaks, which resembles the logo from Batman enough for the mountain to have earned its nickname. This unique shape makes the feature popular amongst photographers, particularly due to the fact it is surrounded by water in which, on still days, it reflects beautifully.

Brunnhorn is located on the Hvalnes Peninsula, which it shares with another gabbro mountain, Eystrahorn. It is part of a coastal area called Lón, a beautiful stretch with black sands and a wealth of wildlife, notably seals and migratory birds in summer.

Getting to Brunnhorn

Brunnhorn is located on Route 1, the Ring Road which encircles Iceland. If taking this route from the south from Reykjavík, it is one of the next major features after the beautiful, ice-filled glacier lagoon Jökulsárlón. After passing Vestrahorn and crossing a river, Brunnhorn can be seen to the left.

The nearest settlements to the mountain are Höfn to the west and Djúpivogur to the east; these are considered the southernmost towns of the East Fjords, one of Iceland’s most spectacular and remote regions. As Brunnhorn is too far from Reykjavík to visit in a single day, taking over six hours to reach, it is most easily visited by travellers staying in the south over several days or those embarking on a journey around the circle of the country.