Snæfellsnes
Encyclopedia
Borgarfjörður
Borgarfjörður is a fjord in the west of Iceland near the town of Borgarnes. The waters of Borgarfjörður appear to be calm, however the fjord is on the contrary a rather dangerous part of the sea because of its undercurrents and shallows....
, in western of Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
.
It has been named Iceland in Miniature, as many national sights can be found in the area, including the Snæfellsjökull
Snæfellsjökull
Snæfellsjökull is a 700,000 year old stratovolcano with a glacier covering its summit in western Iceland. The name of the mountain is actually Snæfell, but it is normally called "Snæfellsjökull" to distinguish it from two other mountains with this name...
volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
, regarded as one of the symbol
Symbol
A symbol is something which represents an idea, a physical entity or a process but is distinct from it. The purpose of a symbol is to communicate meaning. For example, a red octagon may be a symbol for "STOP". On a map, a picture of a tent might represent a campsite. Numerals are symbols for...
s of Iceland. With its height of 1446 m, it is the highest mountain on the peninsula and has a glacier at its peak. "jökull" means "glacier" in the Icelandic language
Icelandic language
Icelandic is a North Germanic language, the main language of Iceland. Its closest relative is Faroese.Icelandic is an Indo-European language belonging to the North Germanic or Nordic branch of the Germanic languages. Historically, it was the westernmost of the Indo-European languages prior to the...
. The volcano can be seen on clear days from Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
, a distance of about 120 km away. The mountain is also known as the setting of the novel Journey to the Center of the Earth
Journey to the Center of the Earth
A Journey to the Center of the Earth is a classic 1864 science fiction novel by Jules Verne. The story involves a German professor who believes there are volcanic tubes going toward the center of the Earth...
by the French author Jules Verne
Jules Verne
Jules Gabriel Verne was a French author who pioneered the science fiction genre. He is best known for his novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea , A Journey to the Center of the Earth , and Around the World in Eighty Days...
.
It is one of the main settings in the Laxdœla saga
Laxdœla saga
Laxdæla saga ; also Laxdœla saga, Laxdoela saga, Laxdaela saga, or The Saga of the People of Laxárdalr) is one of the Icelanders' sagas. Written in the 13th century, it tells of people in the Breiðafjörður area of Iceland from the late 9th century to the early 11th century...
, and was according to this saga the birthplace of the first West Norse member of the Varangian Guard
Varangian Guard
The Varangian Guard was an elite unit of the Byzantine Army in 10th to the 14th centuries, whose members served as personal bodyguards of the Byzantine Emperors....
, Bolli Bollasson. Other historical people who lived in the area according to the saga include Guðrún Ósvífursdóttir
Guðrún Ósvífursdóttir
Guðrún Ósvífrsdóttir was the historical protagonist of the Medieval Icelandic Laxdœla saga, which recounts the history of the People of Laxárdalur. She was famed for her beauty and was married four times. Her first marriage to Thorvaldr Halldorsson ended in divorce...
, Bolli Þorleiksson
Bolli Þorleiksson
Bolli Þorleiksson was a key historical character in the Medieval Icelandic Laxdœla saga, which recounts the history of the People of Laxárdalur. He courted the famed Guðrún Ósvífursdóttir, but Guðrún preferred his foster-brother Kjartan Ólafsson...
and Snorri the Goði.
The area surrounding Snæfellsjökull has been designated one of the four National Parks by the government of Iceland.
Local fishing villages and small towns on the northern shore of Snæfellsnes include Rif, Ólafsvík
Ólafsvík
Ólafsvík is a fishing town on the western end of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in Iceland., it had 1,010 inhabitants. It is situated in the county of Snæfellsnes- og Hnappadalssýsla, in the region of Vesturland and it is the administrative centre of the municipality of Snæfellsbær.-Overview:Because of...
, Grundarfjörður
Grundarfjörður
Grundarfjörður is a small town, situated in the north of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in the west of Iceland.The town had 938 inhabitants in 2004 and 974 inhabitants in 2005. The town is situated in front of an impressive mountain range which has a slightly alpine look. On the sea side, there is a ...
, Stykkishólmur
Stykkishólmur
Stykkishólmur is a town and municipality situated in the western part of Iceland, to the north of the Snæfellsnes peninsula.With its 1,100 inhabitants, it is a center of services and commerce for the area. Most of the people make their living from fishing and tourism. A ferry called Baldur goes...
and Búðardalur
Búðardalur
Búðardalur is a village situated on the Hvammsfjörður in the north-west of Iceland.The village also lies at the north-eastern end of the Snæfellsnes peninsula and is part of the municipality of Dalabyggð. Búðardalur has about 250 inhabitants and it is a service center for the area...
.
Near Hellissandur
Hellissandur
Hellissandur is a village and part of the Snæfellsbær municipality at the north-western tip of Snæfellsnes peninsula in western Iceland.Once an important fishing area, the village has experienced growth in tourism. The maritime museum has examples of the turf-roof houses once common across Iceland,...
is the tallest structure in Western Europe, the Longwave Radio Mast at Hellissandur
Longwave radio mast Hellissandur
The Longwave radio mast Hellissandur is a 412 metre high guyed radio mast for longwave transmissions at Gufuskálar in the vicinity of Hellissandur on the peninsula Snæfellsnes of Iceland. This mast, which is the tallest structure in Western Europe, is insulated against ground and guyed in 5 levels...
.
Snaefellsnes Community has recently become the first Green Globe
Green Globe
Green Globe is based on Agenda 21 principles for Sustainable Development endorsed by 182 Heads of State at the United Nations Rio De Janeiro Earth Summit . Green Globe Certification and Green Globe Asia Pacific deliver separate certification services and standards to the travel & tourism as well...
Certified Community in Iceland and Europe, and only the 4th in the world. Snaefellsnes Community has been committed to the Green Globe
Green Globe
Green Globe is based on Agenda 21 principles for Sustainable Development endorsed by 182 Heads of State at the United Nations Rio De Janeiro Earth Summit . Green Globe Certification and Green Globe Asia Pacific deliver separate certification services and standards to the travel & tourism as well...
Programme since 2003 and have successfully Benchmarked for the past 5 consecutive years. In June 2008, the Snaefellsnes Community reached certification status as a Green Globe Community.
See also
- Geography of IcelandGeography of IcelandIceland is a medium-sized island in the North Atlantic ocean. The island is located east of Greenland and immediately south of the Arctic Circle, atop the divergent boundary of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the North Atlantic Ocean. It lies about from New York City and from Scotland...
- Volcanism in Iceland
- Green GlobeGreen GlobeGreen Globe is based on Agenda 21 principles for Sustainable Development endorsed by 182 Heads of State at the United Nations Rio De Janeiro Earth Summit . Green Globe Certification and Green Globe Asia Pacific deliver separate certification services and standards to the travel & tourism as well...