Hallormsstaðaskógur Forest in East-Iceland - Iceland's largest Forest
Hallormsstaðaskógur national forest in East-Iceland is Iceland's leading woodland, covering an area of approx. 740 hectares. It is Iceland's first national forest and has been preserved since 1905.
It is a natural birch forest, but a nursing station was established in 1903, and experiments were made with the planting of foreign tree species.
The oldest larch grove in Hallormsstaðaskógur forest, Guttormslundur grove, dates back to 1938 and is named after Guttormur Pálsson, ranger. This is my travel-blog in a series I wrote about my travels in East Iceland.
Hiking in Hallormsstaðaskógur forest
Hallormsstaðaskógur forest has a unique arboretum with approx. 85 foreign tree species from 600 locations around the world. And here the Icelandic joke: "What should you do when you get lost in an Icelandic forest?". The answer being: "Stand up!" doesn't apply - as some of the trees are quite tall.
Autumn colours in Hallormsstaðaskógur forest
Iceland is among the least forested countries in Europe, with forest land covering only 2% of the country. The Vikings cut down much of the forest when they settled in Iceland, both for building houses and for fire making, but also for creating grazing areas for their cattle.
We, locals, are now regaining the forests by forestation.
Lögurinn and Hallormsstaðaskógur forest
I worked for a couple of summers planting trees when I was a teenager and so did the majority of my generation.
In Hallormsstaðaskógur forest you can find great hiking trails, one of which leads you to the beautiful waterfall Ljósárfoss - also called Selfoss in Ljósá river. I got a map of the main hiking trails at the information center.
By Ljósárfoss waterfall
I was on my way to hike up to Hengifoss waterfall on the other side of Lagarfljót lake but decided on visiting Ljósárfoss first as it was a short and easy hike.
The hike to Ljósárfoss waterfall is about an hour back and forth (850 meters from the road). It is an easy hike through parts of the beautiful Hallormsstaðaskógur forest.
Ljósárfoss waterfall is 18 m high and cascades from a cliff called Ljósárhryggur. When I visited this lovely waterfall there had been a draught in Iceland, making the waterfalls less powerful than usual.
There is a 3-meter high small waterfall a little bit below Ljósárfoss.
On your way to the waterfall, you walk through the forest and you can see trees planted in 1965-67 from Siberia and Alaska.
Atlavík Cove
Atlavík cove
Atlavík cove is a beautiful cove in Hallormsstaðaskógur woods. It is right by the lake Lagarfljót and there is a popular camping area here.
This area is so serene and the lake Lagarfljót sometimes looks like a mirror. It is a milky white greyish lake, which frequently changes its colour - ever so serene - until Lagarfljótsormurinn monster shows its head!
Atlavík cove
Atlavík used to be a popular meeting place for the locals and visitors when the big Atlavíkurhátið festivals were held here. In 1985 the Beatle Ringo Starr performed here with the popular Icelandic band Stuðmenn.
These festivals, which were really big and popular, were held for the last time in the last decade of the last century.
Atlavík cove
The name Atlavík derives from the name of the settler Graut-Atli Þiðrandason, who is mentioned in the old Landnáma - the Book of Settlement in Iceland. Graut-Atli settled the eastern shore of the Lagarfljót river between Giljár and Vallarnes west of Uxalækur.
Klifá stone arch and the bull
Klifá stone arch
In Hallormsstaðaskógur runs a river named Klifá. In one place beneath the road, it runs through a beautiful natural rock arch.
Folklore is linked to that rock arch:
"It so happened in Hallormsstað a long time ago that a bull was killed here. The men ran inside to make the so-called "skyndilifur", which is blood from the bull, which is solidified, cut into pieces, boiled quickly, and pickled!!
The stone arch and the bridge
But as the butchers returned to the farmyard they saw that the bull had stood up and was walking away. The men followed the bull to the river Klifá.
There the bull ran under the rock arch in the river. The men then returned back home. But the bull is said to live under the rock arch - even today!".
(Roughly translated into English from the Collection of Folklore of Jón Árnason).
Klifá stone arch
I have walked down to the rock arch several times and have fortunately never seen this bull, but I love legends that are connected to the places I visit and have written several travel-blogs where I include the legends.
Another legend is connected to the Lagarfljót lake as there is a monster living in the lake - the Lagarfljótsormurinn Serpent or Lagarfljótsormurinn Worm! I have written another travel-blog about the Lagarfljótsormurinn Serpent.
So be on the lookout for a monster when you visit this area!
Lögurinn and the bridge
I would advise you to drive around the lake and hike up to Hengifoss waterfall, Iceland's second-largest waterfall, but the return hike takes around 2 hours.
And drop in at Skriðuklaustur as well:
The majestic Hengifoss and Litlanesfoss Waterfalls in East-Iceland
Skriðuklaustur and the Archaeological Excavations in East-Iceland
Egilsstaðir in East Iceland and the Pearls of Fljótsdalur Valley
Hengifoss waterfall
The round-trip from Egilsstaðir around the lake is some 70 km long on ring-road 1 and road 931 with a lot of interesting sights on the way.
GPS: N65° 5' 41.302" W14° 43' 59.575".
To reach Hallormsstaðaskógur in East-Iceland you can rent a car in Reykjavík and drive from Reykjavík on ring-road 1 for a couple of days, either clockwise or anti-clockwise.
Have a lovely time in East Iceland :)
기타 흥미로운 블로그
요쿨살론부터 비크까지, 꽃보다 청춘 5화
드디어 하늘씨과 쓰리스톤즈가 합류했는데요! 설원을 달리는 모습에 저도 아이슬란드가 엄청 그리워졌답니다. 빙하와 빛나는 요쿨살론 첫번째로 향한 요쿨살론(Jokulsarlon)은 아이슬란드의 대표적인 명소 중 하나랍니다. 영어로 Glacier lagoon 이라고도 하는데요. 방송에 나온 것처럼 눈 앞에 보이는 빙하는 빙하수가 흘러서 녹았다 얼었다를더 보기스코가포스 폭포부터 오로라까지, 꽃보다청춘 4화를 따라서
여행 5일째, 포스톤즈가 처음으로 향한 곳은 아이슬란드 남부에 있는 스코가포스 폭포(skogasfoss)입니다. 아이슬란드 남부의 대표적인 폭포 중 하나에요. 방송에서는 들르지 않았지만 스코가포스 거의 바로 옆에 위치한 셀리야란드스포스(seljalandsfoss) 폭포와 함께 같이 들르곤 한답니다. 스코가포스 폭포는 폭포의 물줄기 끝까지 올라갈 수 있단더 보기꽃청춘을 따라서
요즘 인기리에 방영되고 있는 꽃보다 청춘 아이슬란드편! 저도 매주 빼놓지 않고 시청하고 있습니다. 많은 분들께서 포스톤즈의 발랄한 매력과 아이슬란드의 놀라운 경치에 빠져드셨을 것 같습니다! 이번에는 꽃보다 청춘을 따라서 아이슬란드를 한번 가보도록 해요! 사실 아이슬란드가 한국에서 그렇게 가기 쉬운 나라는 아닙니다. 거리도 멀고 항공권도 비싸고! 우더 보기
아이슬란드 최대의 여행 마켓플레이스를 전화에 다운로드하여 전체 여행을 한 곳에서 관리하세요
전화 카메라로 이 QR 코드를 스캔하고 표시되는 링크를 누르면 아이슬란드 최대의 여행 마켓플레이스를 주머니에 넣을 수 있답니다. 다운로드 링크가 포함된 SMS 또는 이메일을 받으려면 전화번호 또는 이메일 주소를 추가하세요.