Hveragerdi

Hveragerdi sits on an active geothermal field, which is why it became Iceland's greenhouse town: hot water heats glasshouses that grow vegetables, flowers and, as a long-running curiosity, a few bananas at the horticultural school. Steam rises from vents inside the town itself and a geothermal park in the centre lets visitors see boiling ground and cook eggs in it. In May 2008 an earthquake of magnitude 6.3 struck here; buildings were damaged and new hot springs opened in the ground, including some in gardens. The Reykjadalur valley above the town, where a river runs warm enough to bathe in, is the main reason many people stop.

History

Water from the hot springs has been used to heat the area since 1929; the town had 121 inhabitants in 1940 and 399 in 1946, and it gained municipal status on 1 July 1987. On 29 May 2008 an earthquake of magnitude 6.3 injured people and damaged many buildings in and around Hveragerði (Wikipedia, Hveragerði).

What's there

• Greenhouses on geothermal heat - vegetables, flowers and a few bananas.
• Boiling ground in town - vents and a geothermal park in the centre.
• Marks of the 2008 earthquake - new springs opened by a magnitude 6.3 shock.
• Reykjadalur above - the warm river people walk up to bathe in.

When to go

Year round; Reykjadalur is best May to September. Half a day.

Practical notes

The town is functional rather than pretty, and the greenhouses are working businesses, not attractions. The hot ground is genuinely dangerous off the marked areas. Reykjadalur is an hour's walk uphill each way and gets busy.

Nearby

Reykjadalur is above the town; Selfoss and the south coast are east.

Key facts