Þingvellir National Park

Þingvellir is a National Park with both historical and geological interest. Iceland is located on the tectonic plate boundaries of the Mid Atlantic Ridge, so it is part of a fissure zone. At Þingvellir you can actually see the continental rift of the Eurasian and the North American tectonic plates. This is one of two places in the world where you can see two major plates drifting apart. In fact, the valley is a rift valley, meaning that it is almost entirely located between the two continental plates. We often refer to this place as "no man‘s land“, as it is geologically right in between Europe and North America. The valley contains Iceland‘s largest lake, Þingvallavatn. There is no better way to see these natural wonders then by a helicopter. Þingvellir is also Iceland’s cradle of Democracy and the birthplace of Alþingi parliament. The direct translation of the name Þingvellir is Parliament-field. Alþingi is the oldest extant parliament in the world, established around 930 and continued as a general parliament assembly until 1798. Alþingi performed it‘s duties at Lögberg in Þingvellir, meaning Law-rock, which is where most of the speeches were held. Iceland declared it‘s official independence from Denmark in 1944 at Þingvellir on the 17th of June, making this date national Icelandic day. Explore this wonderful geological wonder from above on the following tours: Waterfalls and Valleys Glacier Landing Fire and Ice Essential Iceland