Thórsmörk ( is, Þórsmörk, ) is a mountain ridge in

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...

that was named after the Norse god

Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, an ...

(Þór). It is situated in the south of Iceland between the

glacier A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires distinguishing features, such as ...

s Tindfjallajökull and

Eyjafjallajökull Eyjafjallajökull (; ), sometimes referred to by the numeronym E15, is one of the smaller ice caps of Iceland, north of Skógar and west of Mýrdalsjökull. The ice cap covers the caldera of a volcano with a summit elevation of . The volcan ...

. The name "Thórsmörk" properly refers only to the mountain ridge between the rivers Krossá, Þröngá, and

Markarfljót Markarfljót () is a river in the south of Iceland. It is approximately 100 kilometers long. The Markarfljót rises in the Rauðafossafjöll massif, east of the volcano Hekla. The main sources for the river are the glaciers Mýrdalsjökull and ...

,Þórsmörk
/ref> but is sometimes used informally to describe a wider area that includes the region between Thórsmörk and Eyjafjallajökull. Thórsmörk is one of the most popular hiking areas in Iceland. In the valley, the river Krossá winds between the mountains. The valley is closed in between glaciers,

Mýrdalsjökull Mýrdalsjökull (pronounced , Icelandic for "(the) mire dale glacier" or "(the) mire valley glacier") is an ice cap in the south of Iceland. It is to the north of Vík í Mýrdal and to the east of the smaller ice cap Eyjafjallajökull. Between t ...

being at the rear end of the valley. This leads to an especially warm climate, better than in the rest of south Iceland. In the protected valley, green vegetation of moss, fern,

birch A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech- oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains ...

wood, and other small shrubs are found. Thórsmörk is popular amongst hikers. Many different tours are possible, from hiking on the glaciers to trekking (i.e., Laugavegur up to

Landmannalaugar Landmannalaugar () is a location in Iceland's Fjallabak Nature Reserve in the Highlands. It is at the edge of the Laugahraun lava field, formed in an eruption in approximately 1477. It is known for its natural geothermal hot springs and ...

) or smaller excursions, such as to the canyon Stakkholtsgjá with its waterfall or five small day treks, to the summits of surrounding peaks, with rewarding views, even in bad weather. The Krossá is a cold, fast river coming down from glaciers; a bridge allows pedestrians to cross. Coaches arrive daily from

Reykjavík Reykjavík ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói bay. Its latitude is 64°08' N, making it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. With a po ...

and other towns in Iceland.

Volcanic ash from Eyjafjallajökull

During the spring

2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull Between March and June 2010 a series of volcanic events at Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland caused enormous disruption to air travel across Western Europe. The disruptions started over an initial period of six days in April 2010. Additional locali ...

, much of the area was covered in a thick layer of volcanic ash. Several months were needed for nature to return to normal.

References

External links

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Thorsmork AccommodationThorsmork ToursThorsmork TourPhotos from Thórsmörk, Iceland 2010
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thorsmork Forests of Iceland Southern Region (Iceland) Valleys of Iceland Ridges of Europe Landforms of Iceland

Volcanic ash from Eyjafjallajökull

See also

References

External links