Standing in front of the church at Skálholt, my mind wasn't occupied by the magnificent natural scenery of the location, but rather by its quiet solitude. This was once the largest town in Iceland? Unbelievable. And so I asked my question again, this time aloud, in a thunderous voice. Why not? It's not as though anyone was around to hear me.
Arguably the most impressive sight along Iceland's Golden Circle is the enormously powerful double-stepped waterfall known as Gullfoss (Golden Falls). Here, the Hývtá River's journey through the highlands comes to a magnificent end as it drops over 100 feet into the canyon below.
The Haukadalur Valley, found along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge just northeast of Þingvellir, is an especially restless area of geothermal activity. Along with other bubbling pools of rotten-smelling sulfur, it's here that you can find Geysir. This is the original -- the geyser which lends its name to all others.
Reykjavík may be the capital, but the rift valley of Þingvellir (pronounced "thing-vet-lir") is the true heart of Iceland. Over a thousand years ago, the country's first parliaments were convened here, adding historical significance to an area of unbelievable natural beauty.
