굴포스(Gullfoss) 안내. 아이슬란드(Iceland)

굴포스(Gullfoss) 안내. 아이슬란드(Iceland)

gullfoss.is

Trail of Sigríður and Gullfoss

Welcome to the trail Sigríður. By the trail you will find signs with information about Gullfoss, as well as the area's geology and history. The trail of Sigríður is dedicated to the memory of Sigríður Tomasdottir in Brattholt, and her heroic struggle for the conservation of Gullfoss

Where does the name Gullfoss come from ?

It is likely that Gullfoss was given its name because of the golden evening hue which often colours its glacial water. Another theory is that the name was inspired by the rainbow which often appears when sunshine hits the water-spray thrown up by the waterfall.

Another theory about the name can be found in the Sveinn Pálsson's travel journal. one upon a time, a farmer named  Gýgur lived at Gýgjarhóll. He had plenty of gold and could not bear the thought of someone else possessing it after his lifetime. To provent this, he placed the gold in a coffer and threw it into the waterfall - which ever since has been named Gullfoss.

Welcome to Gullfoss

Gullfoss and its environs was designated as a nature reserve in 1979 to permanently protect the waterfall and allow the public to enjoy this unique area.

The Environment Agency of Iceland is responsible for the management of the reserve.

Gullfoss is like no other

"No waterfall in Europe can match Gullfoss. In wildness and fury it outdoes the Niagara Falls of the United States. Thousands of unharnessed horsepowers flow continously into the gorge, year in and year out. Soon, however, Gullfoss will be harnessed for electricity production to supply the inhabitants of the south of the country with abundance of light and heat."

This is taken from a travel book by two Danes in the retinue of King Frederick VII after a visit to Gullfoss, 1907

Gullfoss is a unique natural phenomenon that triggers varying impressions in people. Its conservation, and thereby its existence in its present form, has a unique history.

Gullfoss and the surrounding area were made a nature reserve in 1979 to give people the best possible opportunity to enjoy this unique natural scene. The area's ecosystem is also protected, and its vegetation remains untouched. Attempts are made to minimise man's footprint, to keep man-made structures to a minimum and not to disturb the land and geological formations.

I will not sell my friend !

In the year 1907 an Englishman wanted to harness the power of Gullfoss for electricity generation. Tómas Tómasson, a farmer in Brattholt at the time, declined the offer saying: "I wii not sell my frined."

Later on, the waterfall was leased to foreign investors. The farmer's dauther in Brattholt, Sigríður Tómasdóttir, sought to have the rental contract voided, but her attempt failed in court. The construction of a proposed power plant never happened, and in the year 1929 the rental contract was cancelled due to non-receipt of payments. Sigríður 's struggle for the waterfall was selfless and unique. She often worked around the clock to follow up her case, made long journeys along mountain roads, waded across great rivers throughout the year and had many meetings with government officials in Reykjavik. In view of this struggle, Sigríður has often been called Iceland's first environmentalist.

Two Waterfalls !

Gullfoss consists of two waterfalls. The height of the upper waterfall is 11 metres and that of the lower one is 20 metres. The total height of Gullfoss in therefore 30 metres.

The Gullfoss gorge is approximately 2.5 km in length and up to 70 metres in depth, reflecting great glacial floods whereby the river carved out its channel at the end of the Ice Age. The resulting configuration of Gullfoss reflects geological strata in the area. Hard layers of basalt lava (dolerite) form the edges of both waterfalls resting on softer sedimentary rock through which the river can more easily carve a channel. These geological layers in the river's gorge are commonly referred to as Gullfoss layers. They were formed during or soon after the mid-Ice Age.

How was Gullfoss formed ?

The Gullfoss gorge was formed by flash flood waters that forced their way through cracks in the basalt lava layers. The average water flow in Gullfoss in 109 cubic metres per second (㎥sec), but at times it can reach 2,000㎥sec. This flow is enough to fill 60 transportation containers with water in one second. In some instances, flash flood waters in Hvítá have been so great that the gorge below the waterfall has overflowed.

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