Laugarvatn

Folklore

Story & Folklore

Laugarvatn — 'Hot Spring Lake' — holds a unique dual significance in Iceland's history. On the route between the south and Þingvellir, it became a traditional rest stop for chieftains travelling to the Alþingi parliament. After Iceland's conversion to Christianity in 1000 AD, pagans who refused to be baptised were brought here to be immersed in the geothermal lake — deeming it warmer and less barbaric than the icy rivers elsewhere. The natural geothermal springs here gave rise to the modern Laugarvatn Fontana baths. The village today sits serenely at the lake's edge, its hot spring steam still rising as it has for over a thousand years.