No one can compete with the Gullfoss
The waterfall and its surroundings were declared a nature reserve in 1979. The Icelandic Ministry of the Environment is responsible for the long-term protection of the Gullfoss, providing visitors with pleasant access and minimizing the impact of people on the environment (flora and fauna).
The Gullfoss amazes people; its variability and speed make this waterfall even stronger than the Niagara Falls in the USA.
Where does the name "Gullfoss" come from?
There are three theories. The first theory is based on the rainbow that can be seen in the spray of the waterfall when the sun is shining. Another theory is that the golden evening glow that falls on the glacier water in the evening inspired the name Gullfoss. The last theory is basically a legend: A farmer used to live on a farm who owned a lot of gold, but didn’t want to bequeath it to anyone after his death. For this reason, he decided to throw a chest with the gold into the waterfall, which gave it the name Gullfoss, Golden Waterfall.
Good to know
The water of the Gullfoss has created a path through a crevice in the lava, which is why the Gullfoss is a crevasse river. In fact, the waterfall consists of two smaller waterfalls. The upper one is about 11 meters high and the lower one about 20 meters; the total height of the Gullfoss is therefore 31 meters. The gorge is about 2.5 kilometers long and 70 meters deep. The edges of the waterfalls consist of basalt lava layers and give the Gullfoss its present appearance.
Debate: Energy production
“I’m not selling my friend!” With these words Tómas Tómasson, a farmer at that time, refused to sell the Gullfoss to an Englishman in 1907 who wanted to use it for energy production. A short time later, foreign buyers rented the waterfall. The farmer’s daughter desperately tried to revoke the contract, but the court refused.
The construction of the power plant never took place and the lease expired a few years later.
