Gullfoss Waterfall

Gullfoss, the Golden Waterfall, is Iceland's most famous waterfall. It spectacularly showcases the power and beauty of untouched nature, captivating visitors. On sunny days, a magnificent, colorful rainbow shimmers above the waterfall. The waterfall is also particularly beautiful in winter, when the landscape is covered in snow and parts of Gullfoss freeze over.

The Gullfoss waterfall is part of the Hvítá river, which is fed by Iceland's second largest glacier, Langjökull, and is located in Haukadalur in the south of the island. It belongs to the Gullni hringurinn or Golden Circle and is therefore one of the country's most famous sights. Over two steps, which are at right angles to each other, the water plunges up to 32 meters into the depths of a rugged gorge, whose walls reach heights of up to 70 meters in some places. Approximately 109 cubic meters of water flow down Gullfoss every second. However, after heavy rainfall, up to 2,000 cubic meters per second have been measured.

There is a café/restaurant near the waterfall where visitors can refresh themselves on their route.

The riverbed and waterfall were formed during an interglacial period. Over the years, various investors have made proposals for the hydroelectric use of the river, for example through hydroelectric power plants. However, thanks to the farmers' daughter Sigriður Tómasdóttir, who campaigned for the preservation of the natural monument, none of the projects were realized. In order to preserve it in its natural form, the Icelandic state, which now owns Gullfoss, even placed the waterfall under nature conservation in 1979.

Gullfoss Waterfall is located in the southern part of Iceland and can be reached via Road 35, Biskupstungnabraut. It is about 30 minutes from Laugarvatn and over an hour and a half from Reykjavík. As it is part of the Gullni hringurinn (Golden Circle), it is recommended to visit Gullfoss on one of the many day tours on offer.