Islands Ring Road with a detour to the Westfjords

Iceland, the land of fire and ice, the land of waterfalls, hot springs, and geysers - these keywords come to mind for most people when they think of the island in the Atlantic. How often have we heard, when talking about our next trip, 'Oh, how awesome! That sounds amazing!' But how many of those people would actually travel there, where even in summer, the average temperature is between 12°C and 15°C, where you're not walking around all day in shorts and a t-shirt, and where there's no guarantee of sunshine, but rather constant weather changes? Especially since the 2016 European Championship, when the Icelandic team probably became the most likeable of the whole tournament, the small island state has gained much more attention in Germany, probably even in Europe, than ever before. However, we already knew beforehand: in August 2016 we're travelling to Iceland! There's plenty to read about things you must see, places you can actually skip, the unpredictable weather, countless waterfalls, hot springs, sheep, small sleepy towns, and hunting for the Northern Lights in August - a small (or maybe not so small) guide for all those who have this wonderful trip ahead of them!

Þingvellir National Park

We had decided to travel counterclockwise, so the Þingvellir National Park was our first destination. At the visitor center, you can get information about the area, but parking costs 4€, which can be considered as an entrance fee.
Historically, Þingvellir is incredibly important for Icelanders, as it is here that the first Icelandic free state was declared in 930 and the Republic of Iceland was proclaimed on June 17, 1944. Geologically, the area is also unique, as Europe and America meet visibly here.

You can take a short walk (in the midst of a large crowd of tourists, many day trippers from the cruise ships are brought here) and visit the Þingvallakirkja . Although not incredibly impressive yet, the short walk is worth it due to its historical significance!