Iceland – On the Way to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula


Kirkjufell im Schnee unter blauem Nachthimmel auf der Halbinsel Snæfellsnes

With a new rental car we finally set off on Friday, heading for the Snæfellsnes peninsula, about 200 kilometres north of Reykjavík. On the way we wanted to see the Glymur, Iceland’s highest waterfall. After an hour of hiking through the snow, though, it was over just before the goal: we couldn’t get across the river. So back to the car and on towards Grundarfjörður, through a stormy winter landscape and into a beautiful sunset. In the evening we went out again in Grundarfjörður to photograph the Kirkjufell with its unusual shape. Sadly the northern lights didn't show themselves that night … The Glymur is around 198 metres high and was long considered Iceland’s highest waterfall; since a measurement in 2011, the Morsárfoss at the Vatnajökull has been slightly higher. The Kirkjufell near Grundarfjörður is 463 metres high, is said to be the most photographed mountain in the country and appeared in Game of Thrones as the “arrowhead mountain”.

Two Icelandic horses with tousled manes in the snow
Two Icelandic horses with tousled manes in the snow.
Icelandic horses with pale manes in snowy pastureland
A pale mane in the wind on the snowy pasture.
Snowy coastal landscape with rocks on the way to Snæfellsnes
Snowy coast with rocks on the way to Snæfellsnes.
Partly frozen waterfall under glowing clouds on the way to Snæfellsnes
A half-frozen waterfall beneath glowing clouds.
Pink clouds over a snowy landscape on Iceland's west coast
Pink clouds above the snowy west coast.
Small church by a fjord at sunset on Snæfellsnes
A small church on the fjord at sunset.
Glowing sunset over a flat mountain and a fence on Snæfellsnes
A glowing sky above a flat mountain – driving right into the sunset.
Pink clouds over snowy mountains on the Snæfellsnes peninsula
Pink clouds above the snowy mountains of Snæfellsnes.
Power pylon in the snow under evening clouds on Snæfellsnes
A power pylon in the snow beneath evening clouds.
Snowy mountain above a village at dusk near Grundarfjörður
A snowy mountain above Grundarfjörður at dusk.
Kirkjufell in the snow under drifting clouds at night
Kirkjufell in the snow beneath drifting clouds.
Kirkjufell and the bridge at Kirkjufellsfoss on a winter night
Kirkjufell and the bridge by the waterfall – the northern lights stayed away.

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