Amazing 360° Panoramas of Iceland
I’ve always known that the Fjallabak Nature Reserve was one of the most beautiful areas on Earth. Still I was awestruck by these panoramas.
Click here to see the Fjallabak panoramas
Fjallabak means “Behind the mountains” and is a rather informal term for the mountain area north of (“behind”) the Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) and Eyjafjallajökull glaciers. On the area’s western side you will find the famous Hekla volcano, while the eastern side is marked off by the Torfajökull volcano and geothermal area. Right down through the middle of Fjallabak is the popular Laugavegur hiking trail from Landmannalaugar to Þórsmörk.
If you want to visit Fjallabak, the easiest way is to do a day trip to Landmannalaugar. All the super jeep companies offer tours like these and you can also just hop on to a bus. To drive there yourself, you need a 4x4. Around Landmannalaugar you can find countless hikes, but in any case, be sure to hike to the top of nearby Bláhnúkur. This is the big blue-greyish mountain prominent in a couple of the panoramas. From there you will find views comparable to those in the panoramas. Before you go home, be sure to take a bath in the Landmannalaugar hot springs.
The other popular way to see the area is by doing the Laugavegur hike. It is one of the most varied hikes you can find anywhere. It takes you through lava fields, across snow fields, mountains of flint stone, black desert sands, mushy green moss and birch forests. I’ve written more about the trail before.
