{"id":771,"date":"2020-03-26T18:55:32","date_gmt":"2020-03-26T18:55:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/visitegilsstadir.is\/?p=771"},"modified":"2023-05-19T12:14:11","modified_gmt":"2023-05-19T12:14:11","slug":"vatnajokull-national-park-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/visitegilsstadir.is\/en\/things-to-see\/vatnajokull-national-park-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Vatnaj\u00f6kull National Park"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The\u00a0visitor centre<\/a>\u00a0at Skriduklaustur is the information centre for the east territory of Vatnaj\u00f6kull National park.\u00a0The visitor centre opened in June 2010 and is the first BREEAM certified building in Iceland. The centre also has an interesting exhibition on the area and the nature.<\/p>\n

The Eastern territory of Vatnaj\u00f6kull National Park<\/h3>\n

The volcanoes of Kverkfj\u00f6ll and Sn\u00e6fell tower over this region. Broad wetlands and expansive ranges distinguish the areas near the glacier and around Sn\u00e6fell. These areas are an important habitat for reindeer and pink-footed geese.<\/p>\n

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Vatnaj\u00f6kull National Park<\/h2>\n

It was established in 2008 and encompasses not only all of Vatnaj\u00f6kull glacier but also extensive surrounding areas. These include the national parks previously existing at Skaftafell in the south and J\u00f6kuls\u00e1rglj\u00fafur in the north, so that today’s national park covers 14% of Iceland and ranks amongst Europe’s largest.
The unique qualities of Vatnaj\u00f6kull National Park are primarily its great variety of landscape features, created by the combined forces of rivers, glacial ice, and volcanic and geothermal activity.<\/p>\n

The largest glacier in Europe<\/h3>\n

Vatnaj\u00f6kull is Europe’s largest glacier, with a surface area of 8,100 km2.
Generally measuring 400-600 m in thickness and at the most 950 m, the glacial ice conceals a number of mountains, valleys and plateaus. It even hides some active central volcanoes, of which B\u00e1r\u00f0arbunga is the largest and Gr\u00edmsv\u00f6tn the most active. While the icecap rises at its highest to over 2,000 m above sea level, the glacier base reaches its lowest point 300 m below sea level. Nowhere in Iceland, with the exception of M\u00fdrdalsj\u00f6kull glacier, does more precipitation fall or more water drain to the sea than on the south side of Vatnaj\u00f6kull. In fact, so much water is currently stored in Vatnaj\u00f6kull that the Icelandic river with the greatest flow, \u00d6lfus\u00e1, would need over 200 years to carry this quantity of water to sea.<\/p>\n

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