Heiðarbýlin í göngufæri
A cultural hiking network linking the remains and stories of remote 19th- and early-20th-century farms on Jökuldalsheiði and nearby East Iceland heaths.
Stuttlega
Heimsóknartími
Half day to a full day if combining several sites; individual stops vary widely.
Besta árstíð
Summer, in dry weather and good visibility
Leiðarvísir
Dispersed sites across Jökuldalsheiði and neighbouring heaths; there is no single trailhead. Use legal roads and tracks only, check conditions, and do not drive off-road.
Um
Um Heiðarbýlin í göngufæri
A cultural hiking network linking the remains and stories of remote 19th- and early-20th-century farms on Jökuldalsheiði and nearby East Iceland heaths.
Myndir
Myndavefur
Bakgrunnur
Saga og bakgrunnur
Year-round settlement on Jökuldalsheiði resumed in 1841 and the 16 principal farms of the heath were established between 1841 and 1862. The broader Heiðarbýlin í göngufæri project later included additional sites on Vopnafjarðarheiði and in Almenningur in Selárdalur, bringing the project total to 26 farm sites. The 1875 Askja eruption deposited ash across the region and badly affected several farms. In later decades improved road connections changed trade patterns, while depopulation gradually ended permanent farming on the heaths. The project was developed to preserve and communicate the history of these farms through site information, guest books and stamps.
Heiðarbýlin í göngufæri is best understood as one broad cultural landscape rather than a collection of tiny standalone attractions. The project connects former farms on Jökuldalsheiði and surrounding heaths, where permanent settlement expanded during the 19th century. Many farms stood at around 500 metres above sea level or higher, and families relied on grazing, fishing, hunting and long journeys to trading centres. The wider project ultimately included 26 farm sites across Jökuldalsheiði, Vopnafjarðarheiði and Almenningur in Selárdalur. The landscape also records major changes in Icelandic history. Ash from the 1875 Askja eruption fell heavily over parts of the highlands, damaging land and contributing to the abandonment of several farms. Some residents later emigrated to North America. Other farms survived for decades longer, with a few remaining occupied into the 20th century. For visitors, the experience is dispersed. There is no single entrance or trailhead, and conditions vary greatly between sites. Some ruins lie near roads or tracks, while others require walking across exposed or fragile ground. Information posts associated with the Heiðarbýlin project tell the stories of the farms and their residents and have also been used for a stamp-based walking challenge. Visitors should choose a manageable group of sites, check road and weather conditions, avoid off-road driving, and respect wetlands, ruins and fragile vegetation. This parent attraction preserves the history of Hlíðarendi, Háreksstaðir, Kálffell, Lindarsel, Melur, Netsel, Rangalón, Víðihólar and Ármótasel while avoiding nine separate low-value attraction pages. Sænautasel remains a separate destination because it has its own established visitor experience.
Þjóðsögur
Saga og þjóðsögur
In the mid-19th century, families began building permanent farms high on Jökuldalsheiði, often more than 500 metres above sea level. Life there depended on grazing, trout fishing, birds and long journeys for trade. The settlement grew from 1841 onward, but the landscape could be unforgiving. Ash from the 1875 Askja eruption badly affected parts of the heaths, accelerating abandonment in some areas and contributing to migration from East Iceland. Yet several farms endured well into the 20th century. Today the remains are scattered across a broad, quiet landscape rather than gathered at one visitor site. The Heiðarbýlin í göngufæri project links these places through information posts, stories and a walking challenge. Visiting them is less about ticking off individual attractions and more about understanding how people adapted to isolation, weather, distance and environmental change in Iceland's high country.
Staðbundin þjóðsaga
A Century on the Heiðar
The story of Heiðarbýlin is not a single legend but a documented story of settlement, hardship and persistence. Permanent farms returned to Jökuldalsheiði in 1841, and families built homes in a landscape where winter, distance and soil conditions shaped daily life. The 1875 Askja eruption became a turning point for many communities when ash damaged grazing land across parts of the heaths. Some farms recovered, some were abandoned, and many people from the region eventually sought new lives elsewhere, including in North America. The ruins that remain are therefore not isolated curiosities: together they form a landscape-scale record of how Icelanders lived at the limits of permanent settlement.
Kanna meira