Þjórsárdalur () is a

valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over ...

Árnessýsla Iceland was historically divided into 23 counties known as ''sýslur'' (), and 23 independent towns known as ''kaupstaðir'' (). Iceland is now split up between 24 sýslumenn (magistrates) that are the highest authority over the local polic ...

county in

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its ...

that lies between mount Búrfell alongside the river

Þjórsá Þjórsá () is Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykja ...

to the east and mount Skriðufell to the west. The valley is quite flattened over and

pumice Pumice (), called pumicite in its powdered or dust form, is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough-textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals. It is typically light-colored. Scoria is another vesicular v ...

y after repeated

eruption Several types of volcanic eruptions—during which lava, tephra (ash, lapilli, volcanic bombs and volcanic blocks), and assorted gases are expelled from a volcanic vent or fissure—have been distinguished by volcanologists. These are of ...

of the nearby volcano

Hekla Hekla (), or Hecla, is a stratovolcano in the south of Iceland with a height of . Hekla is one of Iceland's most active volcanoes; over 20 eruptions have occurred in and around the volcano since 874. During the Middle Ages, the Icelandic Norse ...

as well as other volcanoes in the vicinity like the Vatnaöldur volcanic system which produced Iceland's biggest known lavafield

Þjórsá Lava The Great Þjórsá Lava ( Icelandic: ''Þjórsárhraunið mikla'' ) is the largest lava flow in Iceland (by both area and volume) and the largest lava that is known to have erupted in a single eruption in the Holocene. It belongs to a group of lav ...

(Þjórsárhraun) in prehistoric times or the

Grímsnes volcanic system Grímsnes () is a fissure or crater row volcanic system located in South Iceland, a relatively small volcanic system located SE of Thingvallavatn lake east of an en echelon group of volcanic fields extending across the Reykjanes Peninsula. The ...

with the crater Kerið. Landmarks in Þjórsárdal include Þjóðveldisbærinn Stöng, Gjáin,

Háifoss Háifoss () is a waterfall situated near the volcano Hekla in southern Iceland. The waterfall Granni is next to it. The river ''Fossá'', a tributary of Þjórsá, drops here from a height of 122 m. This is the fourth highest waterfall of the islan ...

, and Vegghamrar.

Geography and Nature

Þjórsárdalur valley is divided into two valley floors: Rauðukamba in the eastern part; and Bergólfsstaðaá (towards the river Sandá) in the west. On the inside of both valleys is the mountain Fossalda, and east of the river Fossá is Stangarfell. The next mountain towards the southwest is Skeljafell; after that, Sámsstaðamúli, and finally

Búrfell (Þjórsárdal) Búrfell () is a basalt tuya located in Iceland. It is situated in the south of the country along the western boundary of the Þjórsárdalur valley. Name There are many different mountains in Iceland by the name of Búrfell, f. ex. Búrfell ( ...

. The valleys join at the south end. West of Fossöldu are the mountains Flóamannafjöll, then Dímon, Selhöfði, Skriðufell and Ásólfsstaðafjall. Under Hagafjall are the capes Bringa and Gaukshöfði.

Vegetation

In the corner of the valley besides Ásólfsstöðum and Skriðufelli is a large forest. This area of Þjórsárdals is lush with vegetation, as are Búrfell's woods. Yet (the Soil Conservation Service of Iceland) has continued to conduct extensive soil reclamation on the grounds covered by

with among other things lupins and grass species. Western Fossár has pumice as well that is cultivated, mostly within the enclosure of highland pasture called Gnúpverjaafréttur, but there are different grass species, including a lot of sea lyme grass.

Landsvirkjun Landsvirkjun, () the National Power Company of Iceland, is Iceland's largest electricity generator. Landsvirkjun operates 18 power plants in Iceland concentrated on five main areas of operation. History Landsvirkjun was founded on 1 July 1965 ...

(Iceland's national electricity company) has cultivated the area around Búrfellsvirkjun and Þjóðveldisbærinn, and one can find there, among other things, a

golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". The ...

. In Gjáin and at Kjóaflöt there is a lot of vegetation, and it is especially scenic in Gjáin, since the Rauðá river winds through the cliff the ravine. There is a lot of

angelica ''Angelica'' is a genus of about 60 species of tall biennial and perennial herbs in the family Apiaceae, native to temperate and subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, reaching as far north as Iceland, Lapland, and Greenland. They grow t ...

around the spring, as well as many species of

moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta ('' sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and ...

and grass.

Places of interest

The farm of Þjóðveldisbærinn Stöng, which was covered by the ashes of mount

's 1104 eruption, was excavated in 1939. It was rebuilt at about 10 km to the south of its former place near Búrfellsvirkjun hydroelectric power station as the farm museum Þjóðveldisbærinn Stöng so that now one can see how fireplaces and other house fixtures looked during the

Saga Age The Saga Age ( is, Söguöld ) is the period in Icelandic history during which the majority of the sagas of Icelanders are set. It runs from the settlement of Iceland in 870 until about 1056 when the first bishop in Iceland Iceland ( is, � ...

(ca 930-1030). A footbridge goes across the river Rauðá right at the bottom of the original place of Stöng. From Stöng it is popular to walk on foot to Gjáin. Þjórsárdals's hot spring is west of the waterfall, east near Rauðukambar. There is a hot spring bath, and an abundance of hot- and cold water that is freely flowing into the hot spring. Inside the valley is

, one of the highest waterfalls of Iceland.

Skeiða- og Gnúpverjahreppur Skeiða- og Gnúpverjahreppur () is a small municipality in south-central Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country i ...

has provided a viewing platform west of Stangarfelli which is situated on the way from Hólaskógur. Near the farm museum is Hjálparfoss, which is a split waterfall in a dell that joins together in Búrfell. ''Vegghamrar'' are rocky cliffs midway between Hallslaut and Rauðukamba. Under them lies the ancient

Sprengisandsleið Route F26 or Sprengisandsleið () is a highland gravel road in Iceland, running through the Sprengisandur area between the glaciers Hofsjökull and Vatnajökull. With its 200 km, it is the longest of the Icelandic highland roads. Its southern end ...

, and the mountain men Gnúpverja ride through here on the way to the mountains.

References

{{Authority control Forests of Iceland Valleys of Iceland Southern Region (Iceland)