Gullfoss

About

Fed by a glacial river, Gullfoss waterfall makes its 32 meter tumble in two stages. The first, is an 11 meter ‘staircase’, while the second is a 21 drop into a rocky crevice. Running 2.5 kilometers perpendicular to the falls, this canyon is Gullfoss’ picturesque defining feature. During the summer, around 140 cubic meters of water surge over the falls every second, making the Gullfoss the highest volume waterfall in Europe. In the early 20th century, an English businessman wanted to harness this natural power and build a hydroelectric plant at the falls. He likely would have gotten away with it if it weren’t for Sigríður Tómasdóttir, who fought fiercely to preserve the falls, walking the 100 kilometers to Reykjavík on many occasions, and even threatening to throw herself over the falls should construction begin. Today, she’s considered Iceland’s first environmentalist, and has a small monument at Gullfoss.