🌋 Þingvellir (Thingvellir)
Iceland
About This Sacred Site
Þingvellir (Thingvellir) is a rift valley in southwestern Iceland where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates visibly pull apart. It was here, starting in 930 CE, that Iceland's Viking settlers established the Alþingi — one of the world's oldest parliaments. In the year 1000, the Alþingi made the momentous decision to adopt Christianity peacefully, making Þingvellir the birthplace of Christian Iceland. The site is both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a place of deep spiritual and national significance.
Key Facts
- •Site of the Alþingi, one of the world's oldest parliaments, established in 930 CE
- •In the year 1000, the parliament voted to adopt Christianity, uniting the island under one faith
- •Located in a rift valley where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates diverge
- •Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004
- •Iceland declared its independence from Denmark at Þingvellir in 1944
Location
Coordinates: 64.2559, -21.1290
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