Whatever the reason for the name, the popular Golden Circle route covering Iceland’s biggest natural wonders has been named after the golden falls, giving this spectacle pride of place on the route.Įxplore a landscape studded with thundering waterfallsįrom fairytale falls cascading against the mossy greenery to clifftop cascades tumbling into the sea, Iceland is famous for its waterfalls. Of course, it may just be that on a sunny day the water pouring over the rocks takes on a golden-brown colour as it carries with it sediment from the glacial valley. Another says that it was named after the rainbows that form in the water mist on sunny days, in keeping with the old Celtic brief that there is a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow. One legend goes that a Viking dumped his hoarded treasure into the pool at the base of the waterfall so that nobody could enjoy his riches after he had passed away. Gullfoss translates as “golden waterfall” and there are a couple of theories as to why these falls have been named this. Sigríður is considered Iceland’s first environmentalist. Eventually, after many trips of over 100km of foot by Sigríður to Reykjavik, the lease was ended in 1929 and Gullfoss was given back to the Icelandic people. It was the farmer’s daughter, Sigríður Tómasdóttir, who saved her money for a lawyer and battled with the Englishman over decades to prevent his plan from going forward. The farmer who owned the land that Gullfoss stood on refused to sell, but the Englishman managed to lease the land and use a legal loophole to continue with his plans to dam the ravine. In 1909, Gullfoss caught the eye of an English businessman who thought the raw power of the waterfall could be harnessed to fuel a hydro-electric power plant. Gulfoss was left to tumble away without threat or disturbance for centuries, millenia even, until the early 20th century. Run-off from Iceland’s second-largest glacier, Langjokull, flooded the landscape, creating the river Hvita that tumbles into the ravine and creates this waterfall. Geologists believe that Gulfoss was formed at the end of the last age, around 5,000 years ago. You can also spot it as a location in the popular Vikings TV series. It was used in Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga and also as the other-worldly backdrop for the new TV series of Lost in Space. You might recognise the waterfall when you arrive as Gullfoss has been used as a filming location for several blockbusters and popular TV series. While in winter, as there is less glacier melt and the river water remains frozen in places, it drops to around 109 cubic metres (358 cubic feet) every second. In the summer months, the glacier melt means that around 140 cubic metres (459 cubic feet) of water tumbles over the rocks every second in an almighty cascade. There is a big difference between the falls in winter and summer. Gullfoss actually consists of two falls – the smaller cascade is 11 metres (36 feet) tall, and then the dramatic drop that people flock to see is 21 metres (69 feet) high. Facts about Gullfoss waterfall in Iceland It would be remiss to visit Iceland and not stop at this magnificent waterfall. One of the major sights on the route, most Golden Circle tours in Iceland include a stop at Gullfoss. Catching a glimpse of this natural wonder, it’s easy to see why it’s been the backdrop to blockbuster films and attracts thousands of tourists every year. But Gullfoss is considered the king of them all. They tumble from cliffs and thunder over rocks.
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