Story of Rjúpnavellir

The tourism service at Rjúpnavellir by Ytri Rangá near the volcano Hekla has been in business since 2001. When construction began, there was little or no vegetation as the area had been unfenced and livestock had been roaming there for years. Along with tourism, there has always been ambition to plant trees and cultivate the land, but the first tree was planted in the land of Rjúpnavellir in 1998.
Today, up to a hundred thousand plants have been planted that make a great impression on the area and form a sheltered forest and clearing. At the same time, various types of Icelandic plants that give the country color have taken roots.

The first cabin for Rjúpnavellir tourism was built in 2001. Since then, the capins and cottages have been added one by one and accommodation is now available in two large cabin and three cottages. There are two other houses in the country, service houses and residential houses. Camp guests are also welcome in the area, it is not uncommon to camping in the forest with the volcano Hekla in the background and the river Ytri-Rangá at the foot of the meadow.

From the beginning, Icelanders have visited Rjúpnavellir a lot together with guests from all over the world. Visitors have been on various missions during their travels around Iceland. Horse groups have made a lot of use of the accommodation at the area, as Rjúpnavellir is an ideal resting place before continuing further into the highlands and into Fjallabak. There are good facilities for horses, as there is easy access to both water and pastures. Hikers and cyclists have been frequent visitors to Rjúpnavellir, as there are many popular and good routes in the immediate vicinity. Rjúpnavellir has also welcomed various groups who have used the facilities for various gatherings.

 

Rjúpnavellir has been owned by Björn Halldórsson from the beginning, who has taken care of all the development in the area.