Law Rock

    One of my favorite stops during my trip to Iceland was at Þingvellir, also known as Althing National Park. As we walked through the park, our guide told us about how this was the place where the Vikings held their first parliament over a thousand years ago. The meeting place was called the Althing, and it began around the year 930. Chiefs and their families would travel from all over Iceland to gather here once a year to make laws and settle disputes. It was not a building like we think of today but an open-air meeting place in a valley surrounded by cliffs and streams.

    There is a tall Icelandic flag standing on a rocky ledge called Lögberg, which means “Law Rock.” Our guide explained that this was the spot where the lawspeaker would stand and recite the laws out loud for everyone to hear. It felt amazing to stand there and imagine the crowds of Vikings gathered below, listening carefully as decisions were made that shaped the early history of Iceland.

    During our visit to the park, we also went snorkeling. Þingvellir is famous for the clear, cold water that fills the fissures between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. Snorkeling there was incredible. The water was so clear that it felt like floating through glass, and you could see the rocky bottom below. The water was very cold making it inhabitable for fish. The flag at Lögberg and the underwater views made Þingvellir one of the most memorable places of my trip.