- Landmannalaugar
Landmannalaugar (Icelandic, meaning "the hot springs of the people of (the) land") is a region near the
volcano Hekla in the Southern Highlands of Iceland.The Landmannalaugar area is famous for its natural beauty. The area consists of many geological elements, most obvious being the
rhyolite mountains and vastlava field s, rising up right by the main mountain hut. The many mountains in the surrounding area are colored in variations of pink, brown, green, yellow, blue, purple, black, white and more, the most notable mountains beingBláhnúkur (Blue peak) andBrennisteinsalda (Sulphur dune).Landmannaluagar is a popular tourist destination. Tourists visit the area from June through late September, after which time the road is closed. A mountain lodge, in operation since 1951, can accommodate 78 people and has basic amenities. It is located centrally near natural geothermal hot springs, also popular with tourists.
Two routes lead to Landmannalaugar and one of them is accessible by regular car, though the road is rough. The easiest route to Landmannalaugar is to take either Rd. 30 from the mainroad and change into 32, cross the
Sultartangi hydro-electric dam, going onto 26, then F208 and just before arriving in Landmannalaugar, making a right turn to F224. Road 26 can also be accessed directly from Rd. 1 just before arriving in the small village ofHella , crossing through typical Icelandic farmlands.Icelandic horse riding is also available in the area. The horse riding trips visit places which can often be difficult to access on foot and not accessible by car as there are no official roads, as an example intoJökulgil (Glacier Valley).From late June and through the summer, a couple from the
Westfjords come and serve food and coffee to travelers in their green bus-shop, [http://www.landmannalaugar.info "Fjallafang"] , as well as selling other things useful to travelers.Landmannalaugar is the usual starting point for a four day long hiking trail aptly called
Laugavegur , as the main shopping street inReykjavík city center is called the same and is referred to the herds of people that walk the trail every day. The name actually means "The Landmannalaugar Trail", "Laugar" being a shortened version for "Landmannalaugar". The usual four day trail ends inÞórsmörk National Park, but one or two days can be added, trekking then all the way toSkógar nearly at the coast viaFimmvörðuháls between the two glaciersEyjafjallajökull andMýrdalsjökull .The huts on the Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls trails are (from north to south):
* Landmannalaugar
* Hrafntinnusker
* Álftavatn
* Hvanngil
* Botnar
* Þórsmörk
* FimmvörðuhálsExternal links
Information:
* [http://www.landmannalaugar.info The official Landmannalaugar information site]
* [http://www.fi.is Ferðafélag Íslands; for booking huts on the Laugavegur hiking trail] Photos:
* [http://www.isafold.de/strutsstigur02/img_landmannalaugar.htm Mountains near Landmannalaugar]
* [http://www.isafold.de/sprengisandur96/img_bogi.htm Coming down laugarvegur from Hrafntinnusker]
* [http://www.isafold.de/sprengisandur96/img_laugahraun.htm Laugarvegur, in the foreground Brennisteinsalda, right-hand side in the middle ground, Bláhnjúkur]
* [http://www.isafold.de/sprengisandur96/img_landmannalaugar.htm The campground of Landmannalaugar]
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