Hengifoss and Litlanesfoss

Dieser Artikel ist auch in Deutsch verfügbar.

In the eastern part of Iceland, near the town of Egilsstaðir, is Lake Lagarfljót. Before the „Hengifossá“ river flows into it, it makes its way through the country’s rock layers and in some places falls down a few meters. This spectacle is very impressive at Hengifoss, one of the highest waterfalls in Iceland, and Litlanesfoss, a two-tiered waterfall surrounded by rare, hexagonal basalt columns.

The trail of history

The two waterfalls Hengifoss and Litlanesfoss, like many waterfalls, were created during the last ice age. Large glaciers covered the land and the weight of these and later the meltwater caused the land to sometimes have deep gradients. Over time, the water found a way through the rock and formed narrow gorges in places where the rock layers were not hard enough. In the other places where the water met rock that was too hard, waterfalls overcome these height differences. In the case of Hengifoss, the water of the Hengifossá River, a tributary of the Lagarfljót, falls approximately 128 meters into the depths, making it one of the highest waterfalls in Iceland. Particularly spectacular because the rock behind the waterfall consists of different layers and those made of volcanic ash appear reddish due to the iron oxide particles they contain. A little further downstream, the Hengifossá has to overcome another smaller difference in altitude. The Litlanesfoss is a two-tiered waterfall with a total height of 30 meters and is particularly worth seeing because the water makes its way between impressive basalt columns that are up to 20 meters high – which also gives it the name Stuðlabergsfoss, i.e. basalt column fall.

Useful information

Hengifoss is visible from the road passing by, but not Litlanesfoss. Starting from the parking lot, where there are also public toilets, a hike of approximately one hour leads to the destination. There are a few steps to overcome in the first few meters of the path, but after that the hike leads along a natural path to the first intermediate destination: Litlanesfoss. This slightly smaller but no less impressive waterfall is somewhat hidden and can only be admired if you walk towards the edge of the cliff. Litlanesfoss is about halfway and after another climb the path leads relatively flat to Hengifoss. In the last few meters you have a great view of the waterfall and you can clearly see the different rock layers, and the surrounding landscape is also beautiful to look at.

The total length of the route is around 2.5 kilometers and the path can be a bit rocky at times, but the hike should be manageable for almost everyone with suitable footwear. However, due to the steps at the beginning and the partly rocky path, we do not recommend the hike with strollers or for people with limited mobility. The way back is the same as the way up and is therefore always downhill.

How to get there?

From the nearest larger town, Egilsstaðir, it is approximately 35 kilometers to reach the parking lot where the hike starts. The site cannot be reached by public transport, but there are some parking spaces available for your own vehicle – and it’s even free! Parking spaces can become scarce in high season, so either arrive early or late or be patient.

Conclusion:

A very nice hike that, with a total of 2 hours of walking time, is not too long and is therefore easy to manage even for less athletic people. At the beginning you are immediately rewarded with a view of the surrounding area and afterwards the hike is simply a pleasure due to the picturesque landscape. On top of that, Hengifoss and Litlanesfoss are beautiful to look at and although there are countless waterfalls on the island, they are still unique.