Almannagjá marks the boundary of the Mid-Atlantic Rift which runs through Iceland. This rift is the space between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates and pretty much the only place in Iceland where this remarkable feature is very distinct. When starting from the Þingvellir Visitor Center, you will most likely walk along the bottom of the rift and be able to see both cliffs that each mark the end of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. Almannagjá was created by the movement of the tectonic plates that slowly pull away from each other in the course of time. The gorge leads up to the Öxarárfoss water fall and has also witnessed a great deal of Icelandic history: Þingvellir itself was the original site of the world’s longest-running, ongoing parliament, the Alþing. The lawspeakers of the Alþing would stand on a rock above Almannagjá gorge to read out the laws to thousands of people.