Reykholt () is a village in the valley of the river
Reykjadalsá, called Reykholtsdalur. It is part of
Borgarfjörður
Borgarfjörður () is a fjord in the west of Iceland near the town of Borgarnes. Although the waters of Borgarfjörður appear calm, the fjord has significant undercurrents and shallows. The many flat islands lying in the fjord are for the most ...
,
Western Region.
Reykholt was at one time one of the intellectual centers of the island and had for many years one of the most important schools of the country. The poet and politician
Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson ( ; ; 1179 – 22 September 1241) was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was elected twice as lawspeaker of the Icelandic parliament, the Althing. He is commonly thought to have authored or compiled portions of the ...
lived in Reykholt during the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
. Sturluson's records of the Old Norse language and Norse mythology, mythology of medieval Iceland are invaluable to modern scholars. Remains of his farm and a bathroom with hot pot and a tunnel between the bath and the house can still be visited. The Snorrastofa Cultural / Research Centre was established in Reykholt on September 6, 1988, with opening ceremonies attended by Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, President of Iceland and King Olaf V of Norway.
''The History of Snorrastofa'' (Snorrastofa Cultural / Research Centre in Reykhol)
Today, the village has 60 inhabitants, a school centre and a library concentrating on the works of Snorri Sturluson. A statue of Snorri by Gustav Vigeland can be found here. Archeologists are still working here and finding medieval remains. In the vicinity, Japanese scientists are doing research on the aurora borealis (the northern lights).
About 20 km from Reykholt, there are the lava waterfalls Hraunfossar. It is also possible to go from there to the caves ''Surtshellir'' in the lava field ''Hallmundarhraun'' (about 35 km). On the way to Borgarnes, people pass by the hot springs of ''Deildartunguhver''. They exceed all the other hot springs of the country in their output of hot water: 180 litres/second at 97 °C.
See also
*Waterfalls of Iceland
*History of Iceland
External links
Reykholt Official WebsiteStatue of Snorri SturlusonReykholt Historical SiteMedieval Cultural Centre Snorrastofa in ReykholtThe Icelandic Saga and Heritage Association
Surtshellir
References
{{Authority control
Populated places in Western Region (Iceland)
Borgarbyggð