History and the nature reserve
Þingvellir National Park, the first national park in Iceland, was established by law during the Alþingi festival year, 1930. The law states that Þingvellir and Öxará shall be a protected sanctuary for all Icelanders, and that the protected land shall be the property of the Icelandic nation for life. Land that can never be mortgaged or sold. Then, as now with the future Highland National Park, there were loud protests to pacify the land at Þingvellir. The idea of establishing national parks came to Europe west of the United States, but large uninhabited areas were taken from there and protected for future generations. Another million tourists visit Þingvellir every year, as it is a natural and historical pearl that has few parallels in the world. Þingvellir was approved by the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2004, the first Icelandic site or cultural monument. Þingvellir is only about an hour’s drive from the capital area.
Þingvellir 11/01/2022 10:18 – A7R IV : FE 1.8/14mm GM
Photograph and text: Páll Stefánsson