아이슬란드의 가장 유명한 명소 골든서클을 오후 동안 한 바퀴 돌아보세요! 본 투어는 자연을 사랑하는 분 누구에게나 추천드립니다. 아이슬란드에서 보낼 수 있는 시간이 많지 않은 분들께 특히 제격입니다. 골든서클은 아이슬란드의 자연뿐 아니라 역사를 이해하기 위해서도 꼭 가봐야 하는 곳이죠.
먼저 숙소에서 픽업이 시작되고 다음과 같은 세 장소들을 방문합니다.
씽벨리르 국립공원, 굴포스 폭포, 게이시르 간헐천 지대.
씽벨리르 국립공원은 아이슬란드의 다채로운 화산 지대를 경험할 수 있는 곳이며 동시에 문화적으로도 의미 깊은 곳입니다. 북아메리카판과 유라시아판이 갈라지는 곳이며 또한 아이슬란드에서 가장 큰 호수 씽벨라바튼(Þingvallavatn)도 있죠. 1000년 전에 아이슬란드 최초의 의회가 세워진 곳이기도 합니다.
법을 만들 수 있는 것은 오직 바이킹 왕뿐이긴 했지만 다른 모든 사람들도 씽벨리르에 모여서 친구를 만나고, 장사를 하거나 토론을 할 수 있었습니다. 그 유적이 여전히 장소에 그대로 남아 있습니다.
이곳에서 두 개의 지판이 갈라지는 바로 그 광경을 아름다운 왹사라포스(Öxarárfoss) 폭포에서 보실 수 있습니다. 다이빙 장소로도 유명한 실프라 계곡에서 맑고 투명한 초록빛 물이 얼마나 깊을지 가늠해 보는 것도 좋겠죠! 원하신다면 또다른 계곡인 페닌갸갸(Peningjagjá)에서 중앙에 동전을 던지고 소원을 비는 것도 재밌을 겁니다.
다음 장소로는 두 단의 폭포가 이어져서 하나의 큰 폭포를 이루며 거대한 물줄기가 쏟아져 내리는 굴포스 폭포를 보시게 됩니다. 폭포의 수원인 크비타(Hvitá)강은 리버래프팅 장소로도 인기 있습니다.
게이시르 지열 지대는 맨 처음 서양에서 간헐천이 발견되어 역사에 기록된 곳이며 영어로 간헐천의 이름인 'geysir'가 여기에서 유래되었기대 합니다. 게이시르 간헐천은 만 년 동안 활동해오다 현재는 휴지기에 있지만 가까이의 스트로쿠르 간헐천은 매 10분마다 분출하며 40미터 높이의 물기둥을 쏟아냅니다.
또한, 이 지대를 걷는 것만으로도 화산 활동을 그대로 느끼실 수 있습니다. 땅에는 열기가 느껴지고 진흙탕이 부글부글대며 끓어 오르며 증기가 쏟아져 나오죠.
아이슬란드에서 가장 유명한 투어입니다! 금방 예약이 마감되니 서둘러 주세요. 아이슬란드의 골든서클을 절대 놓치지 마세요. 우측 상단의 '날짜 선택하기'를 누르셔서 예약 가능 여부를 확인해보세요!
개요
투어 정보:
가능 기간 : 2월. - 12월.
소요시간:
7 시간
액티비티:
관광
난이도:
쉬움
언어:
English
하이라이트:
Geysir is a famous hot spring in the geothermal area of Haukadalur Valley, found in south-west Iceland.
Making up just one of the attractions along the world-renowned Golden Circle sightseeing route, alongside Þingvellir National Park and the mighty Gullfoss waterfall, Geysir is most well-known for having lent its name to geysers all around the world.
Geography
Though Geysir itself is rarely active these days, Haukadalur Valley boasts a plethora of hot springs and geysers, including the powerful Strokkur, Smiður and Litli-Strokkur.
Strokkur is, arguably, the country’s most famous hot spring, shooting vast jets of boiling water from 20 metres (65 feet) up to 40 metres (130 feet) high. Don’t worry about missing this incredible spectacle of nature, as Strokkur erupts every five to ten minutes; just make sure to have your camera ready.
Geysir is much larger, but years can go by between eruptions here; it is currently in an inactive phase. When it does erupt, the water can shoot up in the air as high as 70 metres (230 feet).
Just a few minutes walk north of Geysir are a wealth of fumaroles emanating steam and gas into the cool Icelandic air. Aside from watching the hypnotic pillars of steam, you will also be able to observe the yellow sulphuric stains along the fumaroles themselves, a result of the earth’s minerals crystallising around the rock bed.
At the southern part of the valley, Þykkuhverir, you’ll find various bubbling mud pots. These spooky brown cauldrons are actually fumaroles that boil up through the loose ground; after a dry spell, these mud pools are likely to transform into a hardened fumarole.
Nearby Attractions
About two kilometres (one mile) from Geysir is a preserved natural pool called Kúalaug. It has room for three to five people at a time, but care should be taken, as the area around the pool is very delicate. The temperature is 39-43°C (102-109°F), depending on where you are positioned in the pool.
The water is slightly muddy, as the pool is built on soil, and the bottom is slippery due to algae, so caution is advised when relaxing here.
Haukadalur has also seen a rise in reforestation in recent times thanks to continued experiments and research in the area. Today, Haukadalsskógur is one of the largest forests in south Iceland, boasting accessible walking paths (also for wheelchair users), fascinating vegetation and The Tree Museum, built in the memory of forester Gunnar Freysteinsson.
History
Haukadalur has been inhabited and used as a church site since the Age of Settlement. Given its historic value, it should be noted that scholar, Ari “The Wise“ Þorgilsson, grew up here; it was also where the first pastoral school in Iceland was built.
The current wooden church was last rebuilt in 1938 but its architectural style dates back to 1842, making it well worth a visit to see how Iceland looked before industrialisation.
For accommodation, Hotel Gullfoss is approximately 7 kilometre from the Geysir area, and closer still is Hotel Geysir on the other side of the road from the attraction, where you will also find a restaurant, café and a souvenir shop.
Gullfoss ('Golden Waterfall') in Hvita river is one of the most beautiful and beloved waterfalls in Iceland and forms a part of the famous Golden Circle along with Thingvellir National Park and the Geysir geothemal area.
This mighty waterfall cascades 32 meters into the river gorge and you'll be able to stand close enough to feel the waterspray on your face. Hvita itself should not be missed by any fan of rafting, as it is one of the most popular rafting rivers in Iceland.
Þingvellir National Park is the only UNESCO World Heritage site on the Icelandic mainland and one of the three stops on the world famous Golden Circle sightseeing route, alongside the Haukadalur Geothermal Valley (Geysir) and Gullfoss Waterfall.Just to the south of the park is Þingvallavatn, Iceland’s largest natural lake.
Geography
The first thing that visitors to the National Park notice is its sheer aesthetic beauty; dried magma fields, covered in Icelandic moss, sit carved by glacial springs and surrounded by a bowl of ancient mountain peaks.
Two of the greatest attractions in the park are the exposed North American and Eurasian tectonic plates; it is one of the only regions in the world where you can see geology such as this on land.
Visitors are encouraged to walk along the North American tectonic plate, where they can read more about the area’s fascinating formation and history, before descending into the valley below.
History
Þingvellir can be anglicised to ‘Fields of Parliament’, a nod to the area’s fascinating history and relevance to Icelandic culture. It is here, after all, that the world’s first democratically elected parliament that remains functioning, Alþingi, was formed in 930 AD.
It may seem unlikely that Vikings would want to be under such an uncombative government, but the thirty or so clans that lived in Iceland at the time sought to prosper in their harsh new environment.
The first gathering was such a success that the meetings became annual, and it became a place where disputes were settled, criminals were tried, and laws to the benefit of all were laid down.
This saw the birth of the Icelandic Commonwealth, a time of independence and freedom for the Icelandic people before they became constituents of the Norwegian monarchy. Sessions would continue to be held at Þingvellir until 1798.
Though the parliament was removed by the Danish at this time, it returned 1845 to Reykjavík.
Another major reason as to why Þingvellir is considered so important to Icelanders is the fact that this is where the decision was made to abandon the belief of Paganism and the Norse Gods; the people adopted Christianity in 1000 AD under threat of invasion from Norway.
This turning point in history was left to the pagan lawspeaker, Þorgeir Þorkelsson, who rested on the choice for one day and one night before reappearing to share his decision.
To symbolise the country’s change, he threw idols of his old deities into the northern waterfall Goðafoss, the name of which translates to ‘Waterfall of the Gods’.
Silfra Fissure
Þingvellir is one of the most widely visited attractions in Iceland, in large part due to the fact that it is home to the glacial spring, Silfra fissure, one of the top ten sites in the world for snorkellers and scuba divers.
Silfra (meaning ‘Silver’) is a submerged ravine within the park, boasting visibility of up to 100 metres (328 feet) and a temperature just above freezing. Participants in these tours will be attired at the Silfra carpark in neoprene hoodies and gloves, as well as an undersuit and drysuit for thermal protection.
Strokkur is found in the Geysir Geothermal Area, titled after the Great Geysir, which lent its name to all others across the world. It is the greatest active geyser on site; Geysir itself is in a period of inactivity. Strokkur erupts more regularly than Geysir ever did, blasting water to heights of around fifteen to twenty metres every five to ten minutes, although it is known to reach up to forty metres.
Strokkur and Haukadalur Valley
Strokkur is the primary feature of the Haukadalur valleyand the main reason why it is one of the most visited sites in the country. While Geysir will very occasionally still erupt to enormous heights, it is nowhere near reliable enough to justify the area’s popularity.
Haukadalur valley, however, has many other features that make it worth a visit. The natural beauty of the area is shaped by the forces of the earth; fumaroles, hot-springs, mud-pits and other little geysers are littered around, and the ground itself is dyed vividly by elements such as sulfur (yellow), copper (green) and iron (red).
Opposite the main geothermal area in Haukadalur Valley is a restaurant, cafe, hotel and luxury gift shop.
Science behind Strokkur
Active geysers like Strokkur are rare around the world, due to the fact that many conditions must be met for them to form. They are thus only found in certain parts of highly geothermal areas.
The first condition that is necessary is an intense heat source; magma must be close enough to the surface of the earth for the rocks to be hot enough to boil water. Considering that Iceland is located on top of the rift valley between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, this condition is met throughout most of the county.
Secondly, you will need a source of flowing underground water. In the case of Strokkur, this comes from the second largest glacier in the country, Langjökull. Meltwater from the glacier sinks into the surrounding porous lava rock, and travels underground in all directions.
Evidence of this flowing water can be found in Þingvellir National Park, where there are many freshwater springs flowing straight from the earth.
Finally, you need a complex plumbing system that allows a geyser to erupt, rather than just steam from the ground like a fumarole. Above the intense heat source, there must be space for the flowing water to gather like a reservoir. From this basin, there must be a vent to the surface. This vent must be lined with silica so that the boiling, rising water cannot escape before the eruption.
Environmental Issues with Strokkur
One of the main reasons that Geysir entered a period of inactivity was due to the fact soap used to be pumped into the vents to make the eruptions more dramatic; it damaged the structure of the vent and prevented water building up. Strokkur, therefore, is guarded against all interference, with chains keeping visitors a good distance away.
Unfortunately, however, there have been incidents where people have meddled with its natural state. For example, an artist called Marco Evaristti once poured food colouring into it to make the eruption pink. He defended himself by claiming that nature was open to artists to utiltise and the fact the colouring was all-natural, but he became a pariah amongst many Icelanders, and was arrested and fined (though never paid it).
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