Húsafell
Encyclopedia
Húsafell is a sprawling farm
and church estate and the former site of a rectory. It is the innermost farm in Borgarfjörður
in the west county of Iceland
, not far from Reykholt
and Reykholtsdalur. Húsafell farm now serves as a hub of service for various types of tourists
visiting and residing in its surrounding area. The Húsafell surrounding area thus includes a wide array of second home
s, tent sites, holiday housing and short term lodgings. Among its amenities are a swimming pool
and a golf course
. The wider Borgarfjörður region is also renowned for its multitude of lakes where there is trout
to be had and salmon
to be lured in the many rivers where it is possible to go fishing
.
The actual estate of Húsafell farm stretches all the way to the roots of Eiríksjökull
and Langjökull
, covering all in all an area of appr. 100 squarekilometers. The farm itself is situated in the midst of Hallmundarhraun, and the Húsafell birch
wood
of Húsafellsskógur, Due to its sunny and warm summer climate and natural calmness of its surrounding stretch of lava
, Húsafell and its surrounding area played host to Iceland's most popular outdoor music festivals during the 60s
and the 70s
.
In the near vicinity of Húsafell are to be found the natural attractions of Barnafoss and Hraunfossar
waterfalls as well as the underground caves of Víðgelmir
og Surtshellir
.
There are also many exciting hiking trails to be experienced in the area, as well as the more organized tours on offer to see the glaciers Eiríksjökull or Langjökull, as well as excursions across the Arnarvatnsheiði highland or all the south across the Kaldidalur
highland.
In the olden days, back when the main route from the northern part of Iceland to the south, lay across Arnarvatnsheiði, Húsafell would find itself to be an oasis of food and lodgings for weary travellers making their way across this country highway. Húsafell was indeed a popular stopover for many overnight visitors in the not so distant past, and lately, the idea of laying a country highway from Húsafell and across Stórisandur up to the North Country
has resurfaced, albeit with today's motorized vehicles in mind.
, where water comes out from a lava
field over a length of about 1 km. They are placed in a setting of birch wood. The trees here grow up to 4 m. The caves of another lava field, Hallmundarhraun are also not too far away, f. ex. the Surtshellir cave.
In the 19th century, there was a colony of artists living at Húsafell, among them f. ex. the Icelandic painter Jóhannes S. Kjarval.
Today, the sculptor
Páll Guðmundsson
a descendant of the Húsafell landed family lives and works at creating interesting faces which he cuts out of local stone.
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
and church estate and the former site of a rectory. It is the innermost farm in Borgarfjörður
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 the west county 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...
, not far from Reykholt
Reykholt
There are two villages with this name in Iceland:-Reykholt :The village is situated in the valley of the river Reykjadalsá, called Reykholtsdalur....
and Reykholtsdalur. Húsafell farm now serves as a hub of service for various types of tourists
Tourist attraction
A tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, or amusement opportunities....
visiting and residing in its surrounding area. The Húsafell surrounding area thus includes a wide array of second home
Second home
Second home may refer to:* Vacation property* Pied-à-terre* Second Home , an album by Marié Digby...
s, tent sites, holiday housing and short term lodgings. Among its amenities are a swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
and a golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
. The wider Borgarfjörður region is also renowned for its multitude of lakes where there is trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
to be had and salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
to be lured in the many rivers where it is possible to go fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
.
The actual estate of Húsafell farm stretches all the way to the roots of Eiríksjökull
Eiríksjökull
Eiríksjökull is a glacier north-west of Langjökull in Iceland, with an area of reaching a height of , making it the largest table mountain in Iceland. Rising over above its surrounding, the lowest of a hyaloclastite tuya formed presumably by a single subglacial volcanic activity is capped by a...
and Langjökull
Langjökull
Langjökull is the second largest ice cap in Iceland , after Vatnajökull. It is situated in the west of the Icelandic interior or Highlands of Iceland and can be seen clearly from Haukadalur....
, covering all in all an area of appr. 100 squarekilometers. The farm itself is situated in the midst of Hallmundarhraun, and the Húsafell birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
of Húsafellsskógur, Due to its sunny and warm summer climate and natural calmness of its surrounding stretch of lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
, Húsafell and its surrounding area played host to Iceland's most popular outdoor music festivals during the 60s
60s
-Significant people:* Boudicca, rebellious British queen* Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, Roman general* Julius Civilis, leader of the Batavian rebellion against the Romans...
and the 70s
70s
-Significant people:* Titus Flavius Vespasianus, Roman Emperor * Titus Flavius Vespasianus, Roman Emperor...
.
In the near vicinity of Húsafell are to be found the natural attractions of Barnafoss and Hraunfossar
Hraunfossar
Hraunfossar is a series of waterfalls formed by rivulets streaming over a distance of about 900 meters out of the Hallmundarhraun, a lava field which flowed from an eruption of one of the volcanoes lying under the glacier Langjökull. The waterfalls pour into the Hvítá river from ledges of less...
waterfalls as well as the underground caves of Víðgelmir
Víðgelmir
Víðgelmir is a lava tube situated in Western Iceland in the Hallmundarhraun lava field, ca. 2 km. Southeast from Fljótstunga farm in Hvítársíða, Borgarfjörður. The roof of the lava tube has collapsed, creating two large openings near its north end which are the only known entrances...
og Surtshellir
Surtshellir
Surtshellir is a lava cave located in western Iceland, around 60 km from the settlement of Borgarnes. Approximately a mile in length, it is the longest such cave in the country. While mentioned in the medieval historical-geographical work Landnámabók, Eggert Ólafsson was the first to give a...
.
There are also many exciting hiking trails to be experienced in the area, as well as the more organized tours on offer to see the glaciers Eiríksjökull or Langjökull, as well as excursions across the Arnarvatnsheiði highland or all the south across the Kaldidalur
Kaldidalur
The Kaldidalsvegur is the shortest of the highland tracks traversing the Highlands of Iceland, therefore the nickname "highlands for beginners". Its name derives from the valley it crosses: kaldidalur means "cold dale/valley"...
highland.
In the olden days, back when the main route from the northern part of Iceland to the south, lay across Arnarvatnsheiði, Húsafell would find itself to be an oasis of food and lodgings for weary travellers making their way across this country highway. Húsafell was indeed a popular stopover for many overnight visitors in the not so distant past, and lately, the idea of laying a country highway from Húsafell and across Stórisandur up to the North Country
North Country
-Locations:North America*The extreme northern regions of the continental United States, bordering Canada **North Country Trail, a long-distance foot trail...
has resurfaced, albeit with today's motorized vehicles in mind.
Tengill
It is interesting because of the natural wonders around it: For example the HraunfossarHraunfossar
Hraunfossar is a series of waterfalls formed by rivulets streaming over a distance of about 900 meters out of the Hallmundarhraun, a lava field which flowed from an eruption of one of the volcanoes lying under the glacier Langjökull. The waterfalls pour into the Hvítá river from ledges of less...
, where water comes out from a lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
field over a length of about 1 km. They are placed in a setting of birch wood. The trees here grow up to 4 m. The caves of another lava field, Hallmundarhraun are also not too far away, f. ex. the Surtshellir cave.
In the 19th century, there was a colony of artists living at Húsafell, among them f. ex. the Icelandic painter Jóhannes S. Kjarval.
Today, the sculptor
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
Páll Guðmundsson
Páll Guðmundsson
Páll Guðmundsson is a sculptor and artist.He has done part of his studies at the University of Fine Arts in Cologne, Germany....
a descendant of the Húsafell landed family lives and works at creating interesting faces which he cuts out of local stone.