39 | Viking Explorer Society News
Discover the Golden Circle
A GEOTHERMAL
WONDERLAND
Iceland's Golden Circle loop offers a glimpse into the country's powerful
natural forces and rich geological history.
Iceland is often referred to as the "Land of
Fire and Ice," a country of stark contrasts and
otherworldly landscapes, where active
volcanoes and vast glaciers coexist. This
dynamic interplay of fire and ice showcases
the Earth's rawest forces, offering a
front-row seat to erupting geysers,
thundering waterfalls, bubbling mud pools
and ancient tectonic rifts that sculpt a
landscape like no other on Earth.
Iceland's position on the Mid-Atlantic
Ridge, where the North American and
Eurasian tectonic plates meet, creates a
hotspot for geothermal activity. The
300 -kilometre Golden Circle loop, accessible
from Reykjavík, offers an opportunity to
witness these powerful forces of nature.
Here are three of the most popular
highlights from this route.
ÞINGVELLIR (THINGVELLIR) NATIONAL
PARK: STAND BETWEEN CONTINENTS
A place where geology and history collide in
the most extraordinary way. Here, you can
literally walk between continents, as the
North American and Eurasian tectonic plates
pull apart along dramatic cracks in the
Earth's crust. The park is situated in a vast
rift valley, dotted with mossy lava fields, icy
rivers and towering cliffs. Peer into the Silfra
fissure—so clear you could snorkel between
tectonic plates. Þingvellir is also the
birthplace of Iceland's democracy, where
Viking chieftains established the world's first
parliament in 930 AD. There's something
electric about standing in a place that
has witnessed over a thousand years of
human history.
Þingvellir National Park, Iceland
