Dimmuborgir: Iceland’s ‘Dark Cities’

Travelversed Editors | October 5, 2015

Dimmuborgir: What you see is what you get

Legends aside, the scores of locals and tourists who visit Dimmuborgir every year all agree that the rock formations scattered over the ancient lava field are both intimidating and beautiful. One visitor called it “a remarkable place where the rocks speak to you in a clearer language than anywhere else.”

Imaginative visitors behold the sea of columns, arches, and caves and see a shape or spirit in practically every rock. Naturalists and environmental historians come to study the intriguing geology and marvel at the violent natural forces that created them.

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Getting there

To get to Dimmuborgir, take the road by Geiteyjarströnd farm, which is approximately 5 miles south of the village of Reykjahlíð. There is a service center complete with restaurant, souvenir store, and parking lot overlooking the lava fields.

The region has many walking trails of different lengths and levels of difficulty. One, the Little Circle, takes 20 minutes at most to travel, while the Big Circle consumes around half an hour. Krókastígur, or the Crooked Path, takes around 40 minutes for those in reasonable shape and requires a bit of agility.

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The Church, or Kirkjan as it is called in Icelandic, has its own own walking path: Kirkjuhringurinn, or “the Church route.” It travels through spectacular lava formations until the traveler encounters the Church, a massive open-ended cave with a domed roof.

The majority of visitors come to Dimmuborgir during the summer, as the longer days and warmer weather are more conducive to walking the trails and getting close to the shapes. But visiting the site at Christmastime is apparently even more unforgettable. Everything is blanketed in white and the Yule Lads make an appearance for young visitors. Anyone who brings their children is certain to have a good time — unless they try to use the sight of these costumed trolls to scare the kids. The law of 1746 is still on the books, so beware!

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