I finished the series about Malmö and was wondering what to do next. I have a lot of photos from various places, all vying for attention :) After some thought, I decided to showcase the place where I have been living for almost a year. It's a small town called Grundarfjörður (with about 830 inhabitants) located on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in western Iceland. It's the fifth largest town in the Western Region (Vesturland), so it's quite large by local standards ;) The town is situated by the ocean and surrounded by mountains. I love this place - the peaceful pace of life and the surrounding nature. I even like the storms, extreme winds and dark winter days.
The town is a popular tourist destination mainly due to the iconic Kirkjufell mountain nearby. Believe me, this place has much more to offer, and I am happy to have the chance to explore it every day. But you have to start somewhere, so today we will take the path above the town, right up to Kirkjufell mountain.
I took these photos in July last year, and I can't wait for it to be that green again :)
On the path
The town of Grundarfjörður
Towards Kirkjufell
Right above the town towers the Helgrindur mountain range - an old, inactive volcanic system. Peaks close to a thousand meters may not be objectively high, but viewed from sea level, they are impressive. The mountains are heavily eroded, and climbing them is not easy.
Meadows full of forget-me-nots and cotton grass are a common sight in the summer.
However, they are not as common as sheep. If you go into the mountains, you are more likely to come across sheep than people.
Grundarfjörður from a distance
Kirkjufell - it is what attracts tourists to our small town
The trail to Kirkjufell is open only during the summer season. This restriction was introduced in 2022 after a tourist had a fatal accident while climbing, the third such incident in recent years. There is a high level of exposure due to the steep rocky slopes, many sheer cliffs, and the heavily eroded and unstable ground. The climb takes only 1.5 hours, but for me, it's impossible to finish despite being in good shape because I have an intense fear of heights. I tried last year and had to turn back after reaching about a third of the way. Fortunately, I don't approach this with ambition. I don't care about reaching the summits, but more about the experience itself... and staying alive ;)
View from under the waterfall towards the fjord and the town.
And finally, I captured this photo of Kirkjufell in all its glory during another trip. It isn't high (less than 500 meters), yet magnificent.
The Snæfellsnes Peninsula is called "Iceland in Miniature" because it embodies all of the country's most beautiful features. This place will always remain in my heart as my first Icelandic home.
