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.
At a Glance
Visit time
Half day to a full day if combining several sites; individual stops vary widely.
Best season
Summer, in dry weather and good visibility
Access
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.
About
About 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.
Explore a rarely seen chapter of Icelandic settlement history through the remains of isolated highland farms and the stories of the families who lived there.
Photos
Photo Gallery
Background
History & Background
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.
Folklore
Story & Folklore
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.
💡 Did You Know?
Year-round settlement returned to Jökuldalsheiði in 1841 and continued for more than a century; the wider Heiðarbýlin project eventually linked 26 former farm sites across Jökuldalsheiði, Vopnafjarðarheiði and Almenningur in Selárdalur.
Local Legend
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.
Explore
Hidden Gems Nearby
✦ Hlíðarendi
Built from Arnórsstaðir land in 1853 near the ruins of the older Arnórsstaðasel, about 6 km northwest of Ármótasel. The farm was finally abandoned in 1872.
A fragile former farm site that helps explain the earliest phase of the 19th-century highland settlement.
✦ Háreksstaðir
Established from Skjöldólfsstaðir land in 1841 at about 482 m elevation and regarded as one of the better and more populous farms on the heath. It remained occupied almost continuously until 1923.
One of the earliest and most important farms in the Jökuldalsheiði settlement story.
✦ Kálffell
A former farm north of Bunguflói. Occupation may pre-date 1840; by 1911 the farm was abandoned and its buildings had been dismantled, although farm and livestock-house ruins remain.
A clear example of how erosion and changing land conditions affected highland farming.
✦ Lindarsel
Built from Skjöldólfsstaðir land in 1862 and described as the last new farm established on Jökuldalsheiði. It was abandoned the following year; an earlier shelter may have stood near the old route.
A short-lived settlement that marks the end of the main 19th-century expansion phase.
✦ Melur
Established in 1848 and occupied, with some interruptions, until 1904. A search hut now stands in the area, and nearby wetlands are sensitive to traffic.
A useful stop for understanding both settlement history and the need to protect vulnerable highland ground.
✦ Netsel
A remote site at about 542 m beside Ánavatn. Ruins from different periods survive, but regular permanent occupation is uncertain and the surrounding vegetation is fragile.
A layered archaeological and folklore site where the evidence spans several periods rather than one simple farm story.
✦ Rangalón
Established in 1843 at the north end of Sænautavatn and occupied until 1923. In its final years public support helped maintain habitation because of the site's role in postal connections.
Shows how transport and communication routes could help sustain an otherwise remote farm.
✦ Víðihólar
Built in 1846 at around 540 m elevation and abandoned in 1905 after land degradation and erosion. Víðihólarétt, a stone sheep-fold from around 1900, lies nearby.
Connects farming history with the environmental pressures that reshaped the heath.
✦ Ármótasel
Built in 1853 at around 500 m elevation and also known as Ármót. It was occupied intermittently until 1943; the house was dismantled in 1945 and the farm had substantial livestock buildings.
One of the longest-lived farms in this merged group, surviving into the final years of highland settlement.
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