Located on the western side of the south Icelandic coast, Thingvellir has some interesting topography and history. On the natural side, the park is in an area where the continental tectonic plates meet. Nowhere else in Iceland, or the world for that matter, you can walk on the Mid Atlantic Rift. This means that, as you walk, you have one tectonic plate on each side. You are literally in the line that divided the continents. Along that path you can visit Oxarafoss, a short but beautiful waterfall that falls from one continent into the rift.
Other trails cross deep channels filled with water so blue and so deep that it’ll give you the idea the go all the way to the center of the planet.
Aside from the geology aspect. Thingvellir has historic importance as well. Most settlers started to arrive in the late 800 from Norway starting communities along the Icelandic coast. Since each clan wanted to force their own believes and rules, it became necessary to create a general assembly to create the rule of the land. The location for this assembly became Thingvellir which literally translates as “Fields of Parliament”. This parliament functions still today in Reykjavik making it the longest running parliament
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