Thingvellir National Park: Walking along the pedestrian trail from the parking lot to the other end takes about 40-50 minutes. The scenery is beautiful and the trail is easy to follow. However, the only drawback was the incredibly strong wind today, requiring a windbreaker for protection, highlighting the fact that Iceland's winds are truly unforgiving. Thingvellir National Park, also known as the "National Parliament Site Park" or the "Parliament Cliff," is said to be the site of Viking settlements in Iceland around 800 AD. They used this area as a hub for urban development, establishing a democratic parliament to ensure long-term stability and prosperity, making it renowned as one of the world's earliest democratic parliaments.
Although the remains of the former Icelandic Parliament are no longer visible here, it seems to have sunk beneath the vast lake, grassland, and land. Thingvellir National Park is breathtakingly beautiful. Perhaps it's the "least imaginable Iceland," as you walk along the trail, facing this vast expanse of natural mountains, forests, lakes, and grasslands. It's easy to imagine that this is where human democracy first began. Seeing Icelanders gather to discuss national development in this scene is as moving as the lecture halls in Athens.
In this national park, you'll see spectacular rock walls and cliffs facing each other. Iceland lies at the junction of the American and Eurasian plates. These two plates, through tectonic shifts, push against each other at a rate of 2cm per year, creating this unique cliff face. Geographically, this location is also unique. Iceland lies at the junction of the Eurasian and North American plates, roughly dividing the country in two. The shifting and squeezing of these two plates creates a strikingly different landscape at this junction. This is also the closest point to the two plates' closest intersection, allowing you to instantly cross from the Eurasian plate to the North American plate in seconds. Iceland's unique geological conditions, combined with its location at the junction of two major tectonic plates, create a natural landscape unique in the world, so captivating that it's tempting to return time and time again to explore every inch of the island.
Perhaps the most iconic photo of Thingvellir National Park is the one of Almannagja. Are you wondering what it is? It's essentially a canyon between continents, as Almannagja forms the rift between the Eurasian and North American plates. These plates are slowly moving apart, and it's fascinating to see the edges of each plate so exposed. In fact, this phenomenon is best seen underwater. Therefore, Thingvellir National Park is one of the places in the world where you can see such unique geology. Another place near Thingvellir National Park where two tectonic plates are above sea level is a land bridge near the Reykjanes Peninsula. The best part about Almannagja is the walking trail that leads directly through the canyon, making the experience truly unforgettable.