Thingvellir National Park

Þingvellir national park is a UNESCO cultural site. Furthermore, Þingvellir national park is a natural wonder internationally, with the geologic history and the biosystem of Lake Þingvallavatn forming a unique entity, a magnificent showcase.

The Þingvellir area is part of a fissure zone running through Iceland, being situated on the tectonic plate boundaries of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

No single place epitomizes the history of Iceland and the Icelandic nation better than Þingvellir by the river Öxará.

At Þingvellir – literally “Assembly Plains” – the Alþing general assembly was established around 930 and continued to convene until 1798. Significant events in the history of Iceland have taken place at Þingvellir, and therefore the site is held in high esteem by all Icelanders. Today Þingvellir is a protected national shrine. According to the law passed in 1928, the protected area shall always be the property of the Icelandic nation, under the preservation of the Alþing.

At Thingvellir National Park, Iceland gave birth to its first parliament and was the first democratic national parliament in the world. It’s called Althing (Alþing). Therefore it’s Iceland’s most important and historical and geological place. The parliament was founded in the year 930 AD and is the oldest parliament in the world still fully operating. Althing was held outdoors at Thingvellir until 1844 when the Icelandic Parliament was moved to Iceland’s capital Reykjavik and has been conducted there ever since.

At Thingvellir, you can see where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet and how spectacularly these plates have drifted apart. At the slow and non-violent speed, the plates drift apart at the rate of 2 cm (0.79 in) per year. This process is steadily forming the island’s markable landscape over millions of years. After you visit this markable place, you’ll leave with a sense of history as you explore more of Icelandic nature since the area is a high concentration of volcanic activity. As a result, many new lava fields can be found in many places and several lava tubes.

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