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28-458: Skaftafell National Park was a national park between Kirkjubæjarklaustur , typically referred to as Klaustur, and Höfn in the south of Iceland . On 7 June 2008, it became a part of the larger Vatnajökull National Park . It was founded on September 15, 1967, and enlarged twice afterwards. Before its inclusion into Vatnajökull National Park, it measured about 4807 km (2884 mi), making it Iceland's second largest national park. It contains

56-623: A fuel station, a bank, a post office and a supermarket. Nearby tourist attractions include the Laki craters, the Eldgjá and Skaftafell , all in Vatnajökull National Park . An attraction close to the village is Kirkjugólf [ˈcʰɪr̥cʏˌkoulf] ("Church floor"), a natural pavement of basalt . These are basalt columns in the earth, the visible tops of which have the appearance of a paved church floor. This lava formation has similar origins to

84-586: A gold comb reach out from the water. When they tried to seize the comb, they were dragged below the water and drowned. The village became well known in Iceland during the Lakagígar volcano eruptions in 1783. The pastor of the local church and dean of Vestur-Skaftafellssýsla , Jón Steingrímsson  [ is ] (1728 – 1791), delivered what became known as the "Fire Sermon" ( eldmessu [ˈɛltˌmɛsːʏ] ) on July 20, 1783. The legend says that this sermon stopped

112-457: Is a pyramidal peak on the northwestern rim of the summit crater of the Öræfajökull volcano in Vatnajökull National Park , Iceland . Its summit is the highest point in the country. An official measurement in August 2005 established the height of the mountain as 2,109.6 metres (6,921 ft 3 in). Earlier surveys had measured a height of 2,119 m or 6,952 ft. The peak is part of

140-431: Is full of stark contrasts. The various glacial tongues are flanked by jagged mountains, with the glacier-topped peak of Hvannadalshnjúkur rising highest. Evidence abounds of the erosive forces exerted by glacial ice and rivers. From the time of the first sagas, this ice has variously advanced or retreated, reaching farthest around 1890, since when it has retreated. The rivers running from it have flowed back and forth over

168-403: Is renowned in Iceland for its agreeable climate and the sunny days in summer, uncommon in the south of Iceland. There is a natural birch wood, Bæjarstaðarskógur [ˈpaiːjarˌstaːðarˌskouː(ɣ)ʏr̥] , as well as many species of birds and Arctic foxes . The waterfall Svartifoss ( Black Fall ) flows over a step of about 20 metres. Its name comes from the black basalt columns behind it. In

196-650: The Giant's Causeway in Ireland. Even before the time of the first Norse settlement in Iceland, Irish monks are thought to have lived here. Since 1186, a well known convent of Benedictine nuns , Kirkjubæjar Abbey , was located in Kirkjubæjarklaustur, until the Reformation in 1550. The names of the waterfall Systrafoss ("waterfall of the sisters") and of the lake Systravatn [ˈsɪstraˌvahtn̥] ("water of

224-544: The harebell , yellow saxifrage , and pyramidal saxifrage . Since sheep stopped grazing at Skaftafell, the vegetation has undergone great changes and is quickly making inroads on the glacial deposits in front of Skaftafellsjökull and in Morsárdalur valley. Species such as garden angelica , wild angelica , sea pea and arctic river beauty , are hardly ever found on grazing land, but have now become common. Birch and willows are also starting to colonise land. Down in

252-410: The hringvegur (road no. 1 or Ring Road) between Vík í Mýrdal and Höfn . It is part of the municipality of Skaftárhreppur and has about 500 inhabitants. It is surrounded by hills and plateaus to the north. Kirkjubæjarklaustur is roughly 190 kilometres (120 mi) east of the capital city of Reykjavik. Kirkjubæjarklaustur is the only place between Vík and Höfn which offers services, which includes

280-460: The Centre describe the intertwined history of people and nature at Skaftafell. Skaftafell has a selection of hiking trails, and the spacious campground has facilities for tents, folding camping trailers and camping vehicles. While the campground only stays open from 1 May to 30 September, camping in other seasons is possible after obtaining permission from park personnel. In recent decades, Skaftafell and

308-510: The Middle Ages there were a number of large farms in this area, but they were abandoned after two volcanic eruptions and the ensuing glacier runs. The two surviving farms now mostly make a living from tourism. The park has also an information centre and a campground. There are many hiking trails crossing the area. Nearby hamlets include Kirkjubæjarklaustur , Svínafell [ˈsviːnaˌfɛtl̥] , Hof , and Kálfafell . Soon after Iceland

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336-568: The Skaftafell woods, the redwing , redpoll , and wren are common, while the snipe , ptarmigan , golden plover , and meadow pipit , appear more frequently higher up the slopes. Other birds seen frequently include the raven , merlin , wheatear , and snow bunting . Although the sole wild mammals are the Arctic fox , mink and field mouse , the local insect fauna is considered quite diverse compared to most of Iceland. When Vatnajökull National Park

364-497: The area. The oldest rocks in Skaftafell are about 5 million years old. Skaftafell strata display well the frequent shifts between glacial and inter-glacial conditions. Tho oldest tillite in the area is about 4 million years old. The Skaftafell vicinity has experienced considerable volcanic activity, with the 1362 Öræfajökull eruption producing the most ash of any Icelandic volcano since the settlement and another, smaller Öræfajökull eruption occurring in 1727. As shown once again in 2011,

392-411: The glaciers. In the summertime, park rangers offer guided walks and various additional events are also offered, such as lectures and children's activities. Kirkjub%C3%A6jarklaustur Kirkjubæjarklaustur ( Icelandic for "church farm cloister", pronounced [ˈcʰɪr̥cʏˌpaiːjarˌkʰlœystʏr̥] ; often referred to locally as just Klaustur ) is a village in the south of Iceland on

420-721: The koppen-geiger classification with warm, short summers and long, mild winters. In January Kirkjubæjarklaustur's average temperature is approximately 0.1 °C (32.2 °F). In July the average temperature is 11.6 °C (52.9 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded was 30.2 °C (86.4 °F) on June 22, 1939, whilst the lowest temperature ever recorded was −19.1 °C (−2.4 °F) on February 6, 1969. 63°47′N 18°04′W  /  63.783°N 18.067°W  / 63.783; -18.067 Hvannadalshnj%C3%BAkur Hvannadalshnjúkur (pronounced [ˈkʰvanːaˌtalsˌn̥juːkʏr̥, ˈxʷa-] ) or Hvannadalshnúkur Icelandic pronunciation: [-ˌn̥uːkʏr̥]

448-412: The lava flow, and the village was spared at the last moment. The current church, constructed in 1974, was built in memory of Rev. Jón. Today, the village is an important service center for the farms in the region as well as for tourists and weekend visitors. Many people from Reykjavík , the country's capital, have weekend huts by a nearby lake. Kirkjubæjarklaustur has a subarctic climate according to

476-490: The lowlands, depositing the material that forms the wide sands of Skeiðarársandur . Road No. 1 did not become a complete circle around the country until 1974, when the last of the rivers barring transportation, the Skeiðará, was finally bridged. Even so, in 2009 Skeiðará stopped flowing where it had been bridged, running instead westwards directly in front of the glacier to the river Gígjukvísl [ˈciːjʏˌkʰvistl̥] , so that

504-610: The other was charged with speaking blasphemously of the Pope . After the Reformation, the second sister was vindicated, and flowers are said to bloom on her grave, but not that of the first nun. Systravatn also has a legend relating to the convent. According to the English text on the Katla Geopark sign next to the lake, the nuns frequently bathed in the lake, and one day two nuns saw a hand holding

532-460: The river under the long Skeiðará bridge to the east carries very little water compared to before. The bedrock geology of Skaftafell has been mapped in detail and a bedrock map of the area was published in 2007. It is available at the Skaftafell national park visitor center as well as in book stores in Reykjavik. A web site on the geology of Skaftafell (skaftafell.org) describes the varied rock types of

560-536: The rivers Skeiðará , Morsá [ˈmɔr̥sˌauː] und Skaftafellsá [ˈskaftaˌfɛlsˌauː] . Volcanic eruptions under the ice cap can give rise to jökulhlaups (glacial floods) which swell the Skeiðará River massively. The sandy wasteland between the glacier and the sea caused by jökulhlaups is called Skeiðarársandur and is a typical outwash plain known locally as a sandur [ˈsantʏr̥] . The last large jökulhlaup occurred in 1996. Skaftafell

588-498: The ruins still remain visible at Gömlutún [ˈkœmlʏˌtʰuːn] . Skeiðará river began flowing closer to the farm and destroyed the fields, until in the early 19th century when the farm was moved onto the mountain slopes and divided into three households. One of them, Sel [ˈsɛːl̥] , was abandoned in 1946 but has since been restored by the National Museum and made accessible for visitors. The scenery around Skaftafell

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616-482: The sisters") on the highland above the village refer to this abbey. Folk tales illustrate the history with stories about good and sinful nuns. The Systrastapi [ˈsɪstraˌstaːpɪ] ( sister's rock ) is where two of the convent's nuns were buried after being burned at the stake. One of the nuns was accused of selling her soul to the Devil, carrying Communion bread outside the church, and having carnal knowledge with men;

644-597: The subglacial volcano Grímsvötn is the country's most active volcano, and is also famous for the huge jökulhlaups or glacial floods that originate from it. Compared to many south coast areas, Skaftafell has a mild, pleasant climate, often benefiting from the towering shelter of Öræfajökull. Birch trees and occasional rowans cover the rich undergrowth of the lower slopes and the birch trees in Bæjarstaðarskógur grow higher than most other native birch. Several flowering plants distinctive to East Iceland are common here:

672-672: The valley Morsárdalur [ˈmɔr̥sˌaurˌtaːlʏr̥] , the mountain Kristínartindar [ˈkʰrɪstiːnarˌˈtʰɪntar̥] and the glacier Skaftafellsjökull [ˈskaftaˌfɛlsˌjœːkʏtl̥] (a spur of the Vatnajökull ice cap). The landscape is very similar to some of the Alps. Still, it has been formed over thousands of years by different influences of fire (volcanic eruptions of Öræfajökull ) and water (the glaciers Skeiðarárjökull [ˈsceiːðarˌaurˌjœːkʏtl̥] and Skaftafellsjökull ),

700-407: The Öræfi district has shifted from a dependence on sheep farming to large-scale tourism. Skaftafell has emerged as one of the most popular locations for glacier tourism with most tours run on the nearby Svínafellsjökull [ˈsviːnaˌfɛlsˌjœːkʏtl̥] (pre-2018) and Falljökull [ˈfatlˌjœːkʏtl̥] (post-2018). As of mid-2018, four large and several smaller organisations were running tours on

728-401: Was discontinued at Skaftafell. In earlier times, however, the farmers had supplemented sheep farming by trips to the coast, where they hunted seals and collected eggs. Stranded ships provided excellent material for making various items, and some of the Skaftafell farmers became well known for their crafting talents. In earlier centuries, the farmstead stood just below the slopes, where some of

756-633: Was founded in the summer of 2008, the former Skaftafell National Park became part of it. Skaftafell has been protected since 1967, with the aim of opening it up to the public while also conserving its flora and fauna, landscape and cultural remains. Open all year, the Skaftafell Visitor Centre serves the Southern Territory of Vatnajökull National Park and provides information on the park and its environs, trails, nature and history, as well as on other recreation and services. Display boards at

784-588: Was settled, Skaftafell became a major farm, and area meetings (þing [ˈθiŋk] ) were held on its land. The disastrous Öræfajökull eruption of 1362 wiped out the entire local community and the district has been named Öræfi , the "wasteland", ever since. Skaftafell and many other farms were soon re-established, but at that time the climate was also starting to cool down, making it increasingly difficult to live from farming. The frequent Grímsvötn eruptions triggered jökulhlaups which flooded over hayfields, covering them with ash and sand. In 1988, traditional farming

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