Europe
Iceland
Haukadalur
Waterfalls
Gullfoss
Name:Gullfoss Waterfall
Waterfall height:approx. 32 meters
Gorge depth:up to about 70 meters
River:Hvítá
River length:approx. 185 kilometers
Source x flows into:Langjökull glacier x Ölfusá River -> Atlantic Ocean
Average water volume:approx. 109,000 liters per second
Nature reserve:since 1979
Gullfoss Wasserfall am Fluss Hvítá im Südwesten Islands

12 Fascinating Facts About Gullfoss Waterfall

 

  1. Location: Gullfoss Waterfall is located in southwest Iceland on the Hvítá River, about 115 kilometers east of Reykjavík. Thanks to its proximity to the Geysir geothermal area, it is one of the classic stops on the Golden Circle. From the capital, Gullfoss Waterfall is therefore easy to visit as a day trip.
  2. Significance: Gullfoss Waterfall is one of Iceland’s best-known waterfalls and, with around 1.5 million visitors per year, one of the country’s most visited sights. For many travelers, it is one of the most memorable highlights of a trip to Iceland. Its appeal lies in its immense water power, its deeply carved canyon, and its easy accessibility.
  3. Golden Circle: The Golden Circle brings together three very different sides of Iceland within a compact route. Þingvellir is one of Iceland’s most important places because history, politics, and nature meet here in an extraordinary way. In what is now the national park, the Alþingi, one of the world’s oldest parliaments, began meeting outdoors in 930. At the same time, Þingvellir lies in a visible rift zone where the North American and Eurasian plates are drifting apart. In the Haukadalur geothermal area lies the Great Geysir, once famous for its powerful eruptions and the source of the name for all geysers worldwide. Today, it is inactive. Its role has been taken over right beside it by Strokkur, which reliably shoots a hot fountain of water into the air every few minutes.
  4. Formation history: Gullfoss Waterfall was formed after the end of the last Ice Age, when the glaciers retreated about 11,700 years ago. At that time, the huge volumes of water carried by the Hvítá began cutting ever deeper into the ground. Over thousands of years, the river carved the canyon, now up to 70 meters deep, into which the waterfall plunges today. The different rock layers played an important role in this process: hard dolerite layers resisted erosion much more strongly, while softer sedimentary layers of conglomerate, claystone, and gravel were worn away more easily. Particularly loose gravel layers were washed out by the water, causing the canyon to deepen further and giving Gullfoss Waterfall its striking present-day form.
  5. Glacial river Hvítá: Gullfoss Waterfall lies along the course of the Hvítá, whose name means “White River.” Its water comes from the Langjökull area and contains fine glacial sediments that give the river its pale, often milky color. From its source areas near the glacial lake Hvítárvatn, the Hvítá flows over Gullfoss Waterfall and continues south before meeting the Sog River north of Selfoss. From this confluence onward, the river is called Ölfusá and continues toward the Atlantic.
  6. Climate change: Langjökull is Iceland’s second-largest glacier and, according to a 2019 measurement, still covered about 835 square kilometers. Since around 1890, it has lost about 29 percent of its ice volume. This development is important for Gullfoss Waterfall because the Hvítá is shaped by Langjökull, and long-term changes to the glacier can also affect the river’s flow.
  7. Impressive scenery: Gullfoss Waterfall looks especially dramatic because the river first flows broadly and powerfully toward the edge before suddenly dropping into the depths. The water plunges over two tiers for a total of around 32 meters and then disappears into a narrow, steeply cut canyon. In summer, spray, noise, and vast masses of water define the scene, while in winter, snow, ice, and frozen mist make the waterfall look like an Arctic sculpture.
  8. Water volume: Gullfoss Waterfall carries an average of about 109 cubic meters of water per second. That is roughly 109,000 liters plunging over the rock edges every second. In summer, the water volume often rises to around 130,000 liters per second because more meltwater from the glaciers enters the Hvítá. During extreme floods, up to 2 million liters per second have even been measured. As a result, the impression of Gullfoss Waterfall changes significantly depending on the season, weather, and meltwater: at times it feels overwhelmingly powerful, while at other times it appears somewhat calmer.
  9. Two viewing levels: Gullfoss Waterfall can be viewed from two levels. The upper level is located near the visitor center and offers a wide view of both waterfall tiers, the river, and the deeply carved canyon. From there, paths and steps lead down to the lower level, which lies closer to the waterfall. This area makes the immense scale of Gullfoss Waterfall especially tangible, but it is often closed in winter. The reason is ice, spray, and slippery paths, which can make access dangerous.
  10. Hydropower plans: In the early 20th century, there were plans to use the water power of Gullfoss Waterfall for a power plant. Sigríður Tómasdóttir, a farmer’s daughter from the area, campaigned against the project and even sought legal support in Reykjavík. According to tradition, she threatened to throw herself into the waterfall if construction work began. Although she did not win the legal dispute, the project was later abandoned. Today, a simple memorial stone with a metal relief above Gullfoss Waterfall commemorates “Sigríður í Brattholti.” This means Sigríður from Brattholt, the farm near the waterfall.
  11. Nature reserve: Gullfoss Waterfall has been officially protected since 1979 to ensure that the waterfall, the canyon, and the sensitive nature of the surrounding area are preserved permanently. The Icelandic state had already taken over the area in 1945, after earlier plans to use its hydropower had failed. In this way, Gullfoss Waterfall developed from a potential industrial site into one of Iceland’s most important natural symbols.
  12. Name origin: In Icelandic, the name behind Gullfoss Waterfall means “Golden Waterfall.” It is usually explained by the golden shimmer that the water, spray, and fine glacial sediments can take on in certain sunlight. Depending on the light, the waterfall therefore appears not only white and gray, but sometimes genuinely warm and golden.
  • Gullfoss Wasserfall am Fluss Hvítá im Südwesten Islands
  • Gullfoss Wasserfall am Golden Circle in Island mit zwei Kaskaden des Flusses Hvítá