Hvalfjörður

The Hvalfjörður ( Isl for Whale fjord ) is a fjord in western Iceland between Kjalarnes and Akranes.

• 5.2 Flora and Fauna

Location and landform

The fjord is a de facto extension of the Faxaflói Bay to the east dar. It is 30 km long and at its widest point it measures 4-5 km.

At the lowest he is inside and reaches a depth of 84 m, while it is the fjord output only about 38 m deep.

Colonization

History

The fjord was in the Middle Ages and the early modern period, a very high importance for South and West Iceland, both as a trading center as well as a fishing center.

In the 14th century, for example, was probably the most important marketplace Islands, Maríuhöfn, on the southern shore of the fjord at Kjós. Numerous remains have been archaeologically investigated. This heyday lasted apparent until the 15th century, when the trading post was eventually superseded by Hafnarfjörður.

20th and 21st centuries

A larger settlement there is not in the area of the fjord, but some farms and weekend houses and factory settlements.

Church and parish Saurbær à Hvalfjarðarströnd

Fame this parish in the 17th century, when the still very popular hymn writer and pastor Hallgrímur Pétursson lived and died.

Whaling station

Inside the Hvalfjörður the most important whaling station Islands was operated at its north side up in the 1980s. The whales were processed here onshore. Even today, the Trantanks be used. In addition, people have started in 2008, again, to hunt whales in limited quantities, supposedly for research purposes, which are landed and broken here.

Industrial complex Grundartangi

In Grundartangi are an aluminum plant of the company North Urals and a ferrosilicon plant.

Naval bases of the Allies

The remnants of the British naval base can be seen on the south side of the fjord, the. Americans on the north side near the whaling station Which are still there oil tanks are used by NATO.

Name

Translated, the name means whale fjord ( isl.hvalur = whale).

There is an Icelandic folk tale that explains the name: A few miles past the end of the fjord lies the Hvalvatn. In this lake a sorcerous priest had lured a vicious whale and therefore stir the name of the fjord. The waterfall Glymur ( Engl. Hall ) takes its name back to the same event. Yet have the whale played when climbing up into the lake above the waterfall terrible noises.

The story also has an alternate ending in which the malignant whale stranded in the back in the fjord because of the magic of the priest. The whale was to the peninsula.

By 1998, travelers had a detour of about 62 miles on the Ringstrasse, the State Road No. 1 will take on when they wanted to drive from Reykjavík to Borgarnes. Back then you had to go around the whole fjord.

Today, the drive through the toll tunnel under the fjord Hvalfjarðargöng is shortened significantly. The tunnel was designed and built by Icelandic companies. He has developed two lanes and leads down to 165 m depth down so that it lies approximately 130 m below the seabed.

Natural beauties

The travelers who drive through the tunnel, escapes an exceptionally beautiful and (in summer) lovely piece of Iceland, which consists of a delightful mix of volcanic mountains and greenery. The road around the fjord is, of course, continue to entertain.

Hiking

When hiking destinations offer, for example, the Þýrill, the remainder of an ancient shield volcano, on the Brekkukambur and climbers to the summit of Botnssúlur. Extremely interesting is the hike to Iceland's highest waterfall, the Glymur that starts in the rear end of the fjord near the mouth of the river Botnsá (also see waterfalls in Iceland ). An old path also leads over the mountains of Botnsá in the Skorradalur, another to Þingvellir.

Flora and Fauna

There are growing at the Botnsá lupines that were introduced in Iceland in 1945 and are used because of the frugality and their long roots in the fight against erosion, as well as numerous other flowers and flowering mosses. Also you will discover now approaches of forests with conifers between the birches. A good example of the successful planting of arctic conifers (mostly from Siberia) in Iceland ( Iceland see main article, flora and fauna).

The fjord was always known for its abundance of fish (see name). Legendary is the winter 1947-48 with the then huge quantities of herring caught in the fjord.