Top 10 tourist attractions in Iceland

Iceland is located at the junction of the North Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean. It is one of the five Nordic countries with a land area of 103,000 square kilometers. Because it is surrounded by high-latitude seas, infiltrated by warm currents, coupled with changeable terrain and sparse people, Iceland has such a pleasant climate, strange scenery and primitive and pure natural scenery. With rolling mud, gushing geysers, magnificent glaciers and waterfalls, it is a paradise for photographers and explorers.

In summer, there is a cool breeze here, green everywhere, and the sun never ends; in winter, it is covered in silver and ice for thousands of miles, and the aurora in the night sky transform into colorful ribbons. But in fact this is not all. If you explore carefully, you will find that the styles of various regions in Iceland are very different. The charming capital city of Reykjavik, the golden circle that gathers the essence of Iceland's wonders, the wild central highlands and the gloomy and lonely western fjords will make you marvel at the fairyland created by nature.

Reykjavik

Reykjavik is the capital and largest city of Iceland. Located at the southwestern tip of Iceland, the Gulf is close to the Arctic Circle. It is the northernmost capital in the world, with a population of 100,000. There is also a satellite town with a population of 50,000 nearby, making it the most populous city in Iceland. The city was built in 874. Reykjavik has developed urban roads and an extremely clean environment. It is a modern city and the political, cultural, educational and trade center of Iceland. There are industries of a certain scale and various production enterprises, as well as first-class hotels and service industries.

Reykjavik's urban layout is balanced and harmonious, with no skyscrapers. Residential houses are small and exquisite, most of which are two-story buildings, with different styles and colors. The streets in the city are not wide, and the streets in the entire Laocheng District have distinct latitude and longitude, giving people a sense of antique, neat, beautiful, tranquil and beautiful. In addition to the pleasant cultural landscapes such as the old and new urban areas and the University of Iceland, there are also beautiful scenery such as Golden Waterfall and geysers. There is a beautiful small lake in the center of the city-Tuoning Lake.

In the mild summer, thousands of swans, ducks, and waterbirds live here. In cold winter, hot water with a suitable temperature is discharged from the lake to provide water to the birds for the winter. Nearby are buildings with Nordic characteristics such as the Parliament Building, City Hall, Nordic Palace of Culture, Ethnic Museum, National Library, and University of Iceland. Pearl Tower, which looks like a crystal ball, is a hemispherical building built by the Capital Hot Water Supply Company. It has an exhibition hall, a hot spring model, and a revolving restaurant. Visitors can enjoy the city scenery through binoculars installed on the observatory.

Due to the rich geothermal resources and many hot springs in the area, hot water pipelines have been laid in the city to provide hot water and heating to citizens. The hot water can reach a temperature of 90 ° C after reaching users 'homes. Therefore, coal is rarely used in the entire city. Because the air is fresh and smoke-free, the city has gained a reputation-smoke-free city. An excellent way to experience the cleanliness and nature of Reykjavik is to visit the city's many hot spring (geothermal water) swimming pools and soak in the warm hot spring water, which will give people physical and mental enjoyment all year round. At the same time, you can intuitively understand Icelanders 'lives and Icelandic society, because Icelanders like to swim and rest in the warm and comfortable hot spring water in their spare time.

Reykjavik Cathedral

Reykjavik Cathedral is a famous church located in the center of Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. It is named after the famous Icelandic litterateur Hal Grimes to commemorate his great contribution to Icelandic literature. The church is one of the tallest buildings in Iceland. The foundation stone was laid in 1940 and was basically completed in the late 1960s. Because funding relied on church fundraising and donations from believers, it took almost more than half a century to complete.

Today, due to its novel design and organ structure, the church has become a landmark in Reykjavik. The main hall of the church is more than 30 meters high and can accommodate 1200 people. Reykjavik Cathedral also has a very conspicuous tower, which is also its most prominent symbol. The tower was built before the church was completely completed. The tower is 72 meters high. Visitors can take the elevator to the top floor to overlook the entire view of Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, and also see the surrounding mountains. In front of the church, there is also a statue of Sigsson, a gift from the United States in 1930 to commemorate the 1000th anniversary of the founding of Iceland. The statue depicts Leifur Eiriksson, the father of Iceland's independence.

Reykjavik Art Museum

If you want to appreciate modern Icelandic fringe art, you have to visit the Reykjavik Art Museum, which was established in 1973 and is the largest visual art museum in Iceland. The Reykjavik Art Museum consists of three museums located in Reykjavik: the Kjarvalsstadir Art Museum, the New Museum in Hafnarhú City and the Asmundarsafn Museum.

The Reykjavik Art Museum is Iceland's largest art collection museum, and it also houses the country's largest gallery exhibition. In the gallery of more than 3000 square meters, more than 20 exhibitions are held every year, with various themes, including the museum's collections, contemporary art works by young artists, and works by internationally renowned artists.

Among them, the Kjarvalsstadir Art Museum was opened in 1973 and is a tribute to the most popular painter in Iceland, Jóhannes S. Named after Kjarval (1885-1972), many of his works can be enjoyed here. In addition, the museum also houses contemporary Icelandic art and international architectural design art. The new museum in the city of Hafnarhús was completely renovated in April 2000. The museum now has 6 galleries, a courtyard and a multimedia room. Its exhibitions are mainly works by Icelandic pop artist Erró from various periods, as well as works by other emerging artists. The Asmundarsafn Museum, more specifically, is a sculpture museum dedicated to collecting the art works of the famous Icelandic sculptor Ásmundur Sveinsson (1893 - 1982).

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Golden Circle Golden Circle is a rare tourist attraction in southern Iceland. It is a tourist route very suitable for relaxing. It extends from Reykjavik to central Iceland, totaling about 300 kilometers. It attracts many travel enthusiasts and is the most must-see sight for every visit to Iceland.

The Golden Circle is the essence of Iceland's tourism. It consists of three major tourist attractions, namely, the former site of the parliament (Pinglil National Park), the geyser and the Golden Waterfall, each with its own characteristics and charm. The former site of the parliament is actually a park, located next to a long and wide fault. This fault happens to be at the junction of the Eurasian plate and the American plate. The difference between the two plates is more than 10 meters, and they are still separated at an average annual rate of 2 centimeters. The speed continues to separate. The Golden Waterfall is magnificent and has spectacular scenery. The rapid water flows down with the trend, with a drop of more than 50 meters, making a deafening roar. Under the sunlight, in the steaming mist, there were golden drops of water, bright rainbows looming, as if the whole waterfall was made of gold. Geyser geyser is one of the most famous geysers in the world, emitting hot springs everywhere, hot air and smoke.

Due to its spectacular nature, the Golden Circle has become Iceland's hottest tourist attraction and is considered one of the best horse riding destinations, so if you have enough time, ride a horse and see it!​

Haostrandier Nature Reserve

The Haustrandir Nature Reserve was established in 1975 and occupies the wasteland between the Hrafnsfjörður and Furufjörður fjörður. World War II forced the abandonment of farmland here. Most of the farmland here is private property. People who previously lived here made a living by farming, fishing and hunting. There are some houses scattered in the reserve, most of which are old houses owned by former residents, and some of which are later built mainly for tourists to spend their holidays here in summer.

Today, there are 260 flowering plants and ferns distributed in the Haustrandir Nature Reserve. Many of them are common species in the western region, but they also include some rare species of plants unique to the local area. In order to protect the good original ecology here, grazing has been banned for decades, and plants have continued to grow upward, some even reaching 300-400 meters, such as seaside fragrant peas and sea comfrey on the seaside. Since there will be heavy snow here in winter, the plants here will be particularly sensitive after the winter snow melts in summer, so tourists should approach them gently.

In addition to the rich variety of plants, the Haustrandir Nature Reserve is also home to a rich variety of animals. Voles are very common here. There are also foxes and seals on the beach. There are about 30 kinds of birds living here. The most interesting thing about coming here is watching the birds on the cliffs. In addition, you can also see other types of animals. The easiest way to get here is by boat from Bolungarvík or Çsafjörður in the west of the reserve, or by boat from Norðurfjörður or Hólmavík in the east of the reserve.

Akrufu Mountain Akrufu Mountain is a picturesque mountain located near the city of Akranes on the west coast of Iceland. With its wonderful combination of mountains and rivers, it has become the most attractive tourist attractions in the area. Standing on the top of the mountain, visitors can overlook the lively Faxafloi Bay and the pristine natural beauty that stretches from the Reykjanes to the Snow-capped Glacier (Snaefellsjokull).

The top of Mount Akrufu is covered by huge glaciers from the Ice Age and is quite smooth, while the mountain is surrounded by blue sea water. Viewed from a distance, this mountain has two large prominent peaks, one of which is Haihnukur Peak, which is 555 meters high, and the other is Geirmundartindur Peak, which is 643 meters high. You can easily climb Akrufu Mountain from the waterway parking lot in Akranes. The most attractive moment of Akrufu Mountain is when the sky is full of auroras. At this time, the colorful auroras in the sky shoot straight at the top of the mountain, while at the foot of the mountain are red lights of thousands of households. The mountain is surrounded by dark blue sea water, forming a magnificent landscape painting is intoxicating.

the Eyjafjallajokull

The Eyjafjallajokull is a glacier in southern Iceland. It is the fifth largest glacier in Iceland and is located on the west side of another larger glacier, the Midars Icefield. Beneath the ice sheet of its glaciers is a 1666-meter-high volcano that has erupted frequently since the glacier period. The volcano erupted twice, on March 20 and April 15, 2010, with the April eruption seriously affecting air traffic in Europe. Prior to 2010, the volcano erupted between 1821 and 1823, with earlier eruptions recorded in 1612 and 920. The diameter of the crater is about 3 to 4 kilometers, while the glacier covers an area of 100 square kilometers.

Although the volcanic eruption under the Eyjafjallajokull Ice Sheet has caused certain harm to Iceland, the advertising effect of the volcanic eruption is unparalleled and has greatly promoted the development of local tourism. Outdoor travelers who like to pursue excitement are even happy to watch the volcanic eruption. After the volcano quieted down, they wear helmets, waterproof jumpsuits, and boots to get close contact with the volcanic lava at the glacier's low temperature of minus 30 degrees Celsius. Just to see the majestic Eyjafjallajokull Ice Sheet and leave an unforgettable travel memory.

Vatna Glacier

Vatna Glacier ranks third in the world in southeastern Iceland and is the largest glacier in Europe, second only to Antarctic glaciers and Greenland glaciers. The glacier covers an area of about 8400 square kilometers, equivalent to one-twelfth of the country's area. It has an altitude of about 1500 meters, an average thickness of 400 meters, and the thickest point is 1000 meters.

The static nature of the Vatna Glacier has become a typical scenery in Iceland. What is strange is that lava, craters and hot lakes are also distributed in the Vatna Glacier area. Under the ice sheet, there are several volcanoes, and the Vatna Glacier is called the "Land of Ice and Fire."

On Iceland's giant ice sheet, Vatna Glacier, there is almost as much ice as other glaciers in Europe combined. It covers almost half the area of Wales in the United Kingdom or New Jersey in the United States. Its smooth crown also stretches out many large ice tongues. Ice and snow rise from the desert and pass through the mountains, forming a large white plain, more than 900 meters thick, so that no grass grows. At the end of the glacier is a lagoon. Occasionally, huge and hard thick ice comes out of Glacier 0, splashing everywhere and making a loud noise, forming glaciers that float on the lagoon. Currently, the Vatna Glacier still flows at a rate of 800 meters per year into warmer valleys. As it rolls on the rugged rock bed, it breaks open to form ice crevices. The ice gradually melted and disappeared as it reached the lowlands, leaving behind rocks and gravel scraped down from the mountains.​

Jagusha Lake

Jagushalo Lake is the most famous and largest glacier lake in Iceland. It is located in southeastern Iceland, at the southern tip of the Vatna Ice Sheet. Glacier lakes began to appear in 1934-35. Due to the massive melting of Icelandic glaciers, the area of glacier lakes has continued to expand since the 1970s. Today, it covers an area of 18 square kilometers and has a lake depth of 200 meters, making it the second deepest lake in Iceland.

The formation of this lake is very special. The Vatna Ice Sheet has a gap here, resulting in the formation of the Breitmek Glacier. The bottom of the glacier forms a lake with a depth of about 100 meters. The giant ice on the glacier continues to collapse and floats on the lake. The ice floes are influenced by wind, rain and currents to form nature ice sculptures. Taking a boat trip to the Jagusha Lake is the most beautiful experience, and a water-land boat is fresh enough-it has a ship-shaped appearance but has four large wheels. Passengers board the boat on land, and the boat uses wheels to drive directly into the lake from land. The lake is full of huge ice floes. In order to allow sightseeing boats to pass unimpeded among the ice floes, there are three or four small speedboats currently guiding the boats, using wooden sticks to push the ice floes away to form a channel, and passengers can enjoy the beautiful scenery among the ice floes.

Many movies are filmed here, including "Tomb Raider","Batman is Born" and two James Bond films,"Who Will Fight" and "Iron King VS the Devil". In 1991, the Icelandic government issued a stamp with a face value of 26 Icelandic kroner depicting the Lake Jagushali.

Deiti Waterfall

Deiti Waterfall is a waterfall in the northeastern part of the Republic of Iceland, near the Mývatn Lake area of Jökulsárgljúfur National Park. It is located on the Jökulsá á Fjöllum River and flows into the Jökulsárgljúfur Canyon; its source is the Vatna Ice Sheet. Deiti Waterfall is about 100 meters wide and 44 meters high. It is considered to be the highest and most turbulent waterfall in Europe. The flow rate varies according to the season, with about 200 cubic meters per second during the dry season; in summer, ice melting increases the river water, and the flow rate also reaches 500 cubic meters.

Because Daiti Waterfall has a large amount of water, you can find the location of the waterfall by listening to the sound of water. Indeed, when the river passes through desolate areas, the powerful current carries mud and sand across the 44-meter-long cliff. Its momentum is really amazing.Icelandic composer Joan Leves was inspired by this waterfall and composed a song 'Dettifoss'.​