Kirkjan

Dimmuborgir, (“Dark crags”) a magnificent lava landscape with strange formations, columns, cav­es, arches, etc. It seems this was formed from a lava–­lake, out of which molten lave flowed, caus­ing much upheaval. One of the strangest spots is Kirkjan (“The Church”), an enormous arch. Some rich vegetation, including birch–bushes, now protec­ted. It is easy to get lost if the marked paths are not followed. Dimmuborgir is under threat of silting up with windblown sand from the highlands, in the past parts have been totally sub­merged. To counteract this a con­serva­tion program was initiated and ownership handed over to the Soil Conservation Service in 1942.