Iceland - þetta reddast’
Where am I? Snæfellsjökull - how do you actually pronounce it correctly? Doesn’t matter, the landscape is huge and unreal, almost like being on another planet that is stranded on. Wild and beautiful.
For many years I have dreamed of traveling through this unique landscape of fire and ice and now I am actually on the west coast of Iceland.
Actually, the adventure began in the capital of Iceland, Reykjavik - the most densely populated part of the country. Hard to believe with 365,000 inhabitants in an area of 103,000 km3. Due to the volcanic activity, large parts cannot be cultivated or built on. Then why do you travel to such a country? And why do people live here? Quite simply: freedom, untouched and unique natural diversity far away from any civilization. Almost as if you were an adventurer entering a strange planet for the first time.
The journey takes me along the so-called "RingRoad". An extremely well-developed road that leads around the entire island and is only very rarely closed on certain sections of the road and only then when the wind is so strong that it carries the cars off the road. I think that's a good reason.
From seals to polar foxes, snowstorms with visibility less than 5 meters, huge glaciers, crystal clear fjords, shiny blue lakes, and of course volcanoes, Iceland offers everything a nature lover would like to see. Sometimes you have to share the attractions with the other tourists, of course, so you are never all alone.
One of my highlights was the geothermal hot springs in the middle of nowhere. A real pleasure after a day outside at -15 degrees. In many travel guides the "Blue Lagoon" is listed as one of the best baths, that is perhaps the case, and accordingly, it is quite expensive and overcrowded. Less known, but at least as beautiful, is the “Mÿvatu Nature Bath” in the north of Iceland or the “Sky Lagoon” not far from Reykjavik. The water comes directly from the earth and is heated by underground volcanoes. Don't let the smell put you off. At first, it takes a bit of getting used to, as sulfur smells a bit like rotten eggs. However, the water has an extremely calming and healthy effect - very soft. What you shouldn't forget: Take off your jewelry and watches. Especially with metal and silver, you will experience a nasty surprise later, as the sulfur content in the water turns everything black. Sometimes in winter, you can even see the northern lights during a relaxing swim - how fantastic that is.
Since Iceland consists largely of volcanoes, it is worth visiting the “LavaCentre” - a really impressive exhibition about the history of its origins and how volcanoes influence life. Every four years at least one of them still-active volcanoes erupts. Fagradalsfjall only erupted in October last year (2021). The special thing about it was the magma output without a huge ash cloud. A really fascinating natural spectacle. A hike is also worthwhile here because the volcano is still cooling down. You can still feel the warmth of the slowly cooling lava rocks. An incredible feeling.
I learned the most important things about Iceland in one of the so-called “hot tubs”. Together with seven Icelanders who celebrated “Global Fat Bike Day” that day, they told each other stories and drank beer - I recommend skipping the beer. The combination of an outside temperature of -11 degrees, the extremely warm water, and the beer led to a small circulatory collapse. Before that happened, I heard about the Icelanders' motto: “þetta reddast’” - which means “everything will work out”. And it's true. There was a solution for every situation. Iceland has its own rhythm that you get used to quickly and then magical things happen - I promise!
More information about Iceland:
Geologist, Helga Krístin, Explains Why Icelandic Landscapes Are Unique