Snæfellsnes

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The Snæfellsnes peninsula is situated to the west of Borgarfjörður in the west of Iceland.

It has been named Iceland in Miniature, as many national sights can be found in the area[citation needed], including the Snæfellsjökull volcano, regarded as one of the symbols of Iceland. With its height of 1446m, it is the highest mountain on the peninsula and has a glacier called the (jökull) at its peak. The volcano can be seen on clear days from Reykjavík, a distance of about 120 km away. The mountain is also known as the setting of the novel Journey to the Center of the Earth by the French author Jules Verne.

It is one of the main settings in the Laxdœla saga, and was the birthplace of the first West Norse member of the Varangian Guard, Bolli Bollasson. Other historical people who lived in the area according to the saga include Guðrún Ósvífursdóttir, Bolli Þorleiksson and Snorri the Goði.

Arnarstapi on Snæfellsnes
Arnarstapi on Snæfellsnes

People believing in esoteric think the volcano to be the center of a special field of powers.[citation needed]

The area surrounding Snæfellsjökull has been designated a national park by the government of Iceland.

Local fishing villages and small towns on the northern shore of Snæfellsnes include Rif, Ólafsvík, Grundarfjörður, Stykkishólmur and Búðardalur.

Near Hellissandur, lies the tallest construction in Western Europe, the Longwave Radio Mast at Hellissandur.

Snaefellsnes Community has recently become the first Green Globe Certified Community in Iceland & Europe and only the 4th in the world.

Snaefellsnes Community has been committed to the Green Globe Programme since 2003 and have successfully Benchmarked for the past 5 consecutive years. In June 2008, the Snaefellsnes Community reached certification status as a Green Globe Community[1]


[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Green Globe International, Inc. Congratulates Iceland's Snaefellsnes Peninsula for Achieving Green Globe Community Certification" 11 June 2008 cnn.com

[edit] External links


Coordinates: 64°51′29″N, 23°06′54″W