Reykjavik - Day 6 - Gullfoss Falls

Watch the video to see the two tiered effects of this beautiful waterfall.

Gullfoss Waterfall: the most popular waterfall in Iceland. Gullfoss is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful in Iceland and is one of the largest. The falls plunge 32 meters over two tiers into the Hvita River below.

Icelanders are very eco conscious (even before the current crisis) and are concerned about the ever increasing effects of both hydropower and geothermal power used to power heavy industry on the Icelandic landscape, river and waterfalls. For this reason the Gullfoss waterfall has special meaning.

In the last century there were plans to dam the Hvítá river to generate electricity but those plans were fiercely opposed by the local woman Sigridur Tomasdottir (1871 – 1957) who lived on the farm of Brattholt just nearby. In her early adulthood she made her living partly by guiding travelers to the waterfall that, at that time, was practically in the middle of nowhere. Her herculean efforts to oppose any plans to use Hvítá or Gullfoss to generate electricity earned her the distinction of being a pioneer of environmentalism in Iceland. Today, tens of thousands of people experience the majesty of Gullfoss waterfall. Sigridur would surely approve, even though the relief plaque (see photo) indicates a stern demeanor.

COUPLE OF OTHER WATERFALL NOTES:
Gullfoss – or “Golden falls” may be the best known Icelandic waterfall, but it is not as powerful as Dettifoss in the north or as high as Glymur in the south-west.Read more