Fossholl

Fossholl is a small town in North Iceland, best known for the impressive horseshoe waterfall of Goðafoss.

Understand
Goðafoss is one of the most important tourist destinations in north-east Iceland. It is a waterfall where the water of the river Skjálfandafljót falls 12 m over a width of about 30 m. The waterfall is located in the municipality of Þingeyjarsveit in an open area about 700 m from Þjóðvegur 1 (National Road 1, ring road). There are some buildings on the right bank of Skjálfandafljót, there is also a bus stop.

The name Goðafoss goes back to a legend. According to this, the Icelandic chief Þorgeir around 1000 CE, decided that his people should adopt Christianity as the state religion. To prove that the old gods have no power, he threw their images into this waterfall, and was thus the waterfall of the gods. Additionally, the Norwegian King Olaf had threatened to stop delivering wood to Iceland if the people did not convert to Christianity.

Get in
Fossholl is along Route 1 on the Diamond Circle, 35 km east of Akureyri.

Eat
There is a restaurant at the guesthouse.