Vatnsdalshólar

Background

History & Background

Vatnsdalshólar have long been a recognizable feature of Vatnsdalur and appear in local folklore as one of Iceland's supposedly uncountable natural formations. Nearby Þrístapar also connects the landscape to national history as the site of Iceland's last public execution in 1830.

Vatnsdalshólar is a striking landscape of numerous small hills in Vatnsdalur, northwest North Iceland. The formations cover more than four square kilometres and vary dramatically in appearance: some are cone-shaped, others resemble rounded heaps or elongated ridges. Seen together, they create a textured landscape unlike the broad valleys and plains around them. For a long time, the origin of the hills was uncertain, and that mystery helped give Vatnsdalshólar a strong place in Icelandic folklore and local identity. They were traditionally grouped with the lakes of Arnarvatnsheiði and the islands of Breiðafjörður as three natural phenomena in Iceland said to be impossible to count. The area is also close to several historical sites in Vatnsdalur, including Þrístapar, where the last public execution in Iceland took place in 1830. Because the hills cover a broad rural area rather than a single developed attraction, the best experience is to appreciate them from roads and established viewpoints while respecting farms and private land.