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Reykholt, Western Iceland

Coordinates: 64°40′N 21°18′W / 64.667°N 21.300°W / 64.667; -21.300
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Reykholt
village
Location of the Municipality of Borgarbyggð
Location of the Municipality of Borgarbyggð
Country Iceland
Constituency[1]Northwest Constituency
Region[2]Western Region
MunicipalityBorgarbyggð
Time zoneUTC+0 (GMT)
Reykholtsdalur with Deildartunguhver

Reykholt is a village in the valley of the river Reykjadalsá, called Reykholtsdalur. It is part of Borgarfjörður, Western Region.

Reykholt was at one time one of the intellectual centers of the island and had for many years one of the most important schools of the country. Here lived in the Middle Ages one of the most important persons in Icelandic history: Snorri Sturluson. He was a famous poet and politician whose records of the Old Norse language and mythology of medieval Iceland are invaluable to modern scholars. He lived and died here. Remains of his farm and a bathroom with hot pot and a tunnel between the bath and the house can still be visited. Snorrastofa Cultural / Research Centre was established in Reykholt on September 6, 1988 with opening ceremonies attented by Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, President of Iceland and King Olaf V of Norway.[3]

Today, the village has 60 inhabitants, a school centre and a library concentrating on the works of Snorri Sturluson. A statue of Snorri by Gustav Vigeland can be found here. Archeologists are still working here and finding medieval remains. In the vicinity, Japanese scientists are doing research on the wonders of the aurora borealis (the famous northern lights).

Hraunfossar

About 20 km from Reykholt, there are the lava waterfalls Hraunfossar, one of the most interesting natural wonders on the island. It is also possible to go from there to the caves Surtshellir in the lava field Hallmundarhraun (about 35 km). On the way to Borgarnes, people pass by the hot springs of Deildartunguhver. They exceed all the other hot springs of the country in their output of hot water: 180 litres/second at 97 °C.

See also

References

  1. ^ Political division
  2. ^ Mainly statistical division
  3. ^ The History of Snorrastofa (Snorrastofa Cultural / Research Centre in Reykhol)

Media related to Reykholt at Wikimedia Commons 64°40′N 21°18′W / 64.667°N 21.300°W / 64.667; -21.300

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