On the way to Þingvellir National Park, we made a short stop at the abandoned Akranes lighthouse. In wintertime, this location is a popular place to shoot the Northern lights. Later we have explored Iceland’s oldest National Park and the only one listed in UNESCO. Park is covering an area of 84 square kilometers and includes part of Þingvallavatn Lake – the largest natural lake in Iceland with its greatest depth reaching 114 meters. Þingvallavatn takes its name from the historical founding of the Alþingi, which occurred in 930 AD at what is now known as Þingvellir National Park. Þingvellir literally translates to ‘Fields of Parliament’. The Alþingi was the first democratically elected representative parliament in world history. Þingvellir National Park is also notable for its geology. Given its position on the Mid Atlantic Ridge, the park is one of the only places on the planet where visitors can see both the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates standing exposed from the earth.
