Snorralaug — Attraction in Iceland

Snorri's pool

According to Landnámabók a hot water pool was in use at Reykholt already in the 10th century. In the 13th century Reykholt had become a church property and the home of the historiographer Snorri Sturluson (1178/79-1241). In Sturlunga saga the hot water pool is mentioned several times. A passage pictures Snorri himself in it one evening, chatting with friends. The basin bears his name and is called Snorralaug (Snorri's pool). Snorralaug was one of the first ten archaeological remains to be listed in Iceland in 1817.

The basin is constructed entirely of hewn stones of "hveragrjót" (silica sinter). It is approximately 4 m in diameter and 0,7-1,0 m deep. Three steps lead down to the basin and a circular rim, a kind of a bench, is along the walls.

Thermal water from the hot spring Skrifla is led to the basin through a conduit. By the intake duct there is a stone with the initials V.Th. 1858. The inscription was carved in 1858 when Snorralaug was restored on the initiative of Pastor Vernharður Þorkelsson. A passage is said to have connected Snorri's farm and the basin. The passage was discovered during construction of a sports hall in 1931. The house covering the passage is not intended to show how the medieval passage was constructed. Its sole purpose is to preserve the remains. Note that the construction of the pool and its closest environment is...

This is a must see site for anyone in Iceland who is interested in history, especially medieval history. You can see an excavated tunnel and the foundation stones of Snorri's house leading to the old pool. Most of the area around the bathing pool has been reconstructed however the large base stones at the bottom are original. The whole area is very tranquil in a pleasant valley. Seeing original medieval stone ruins in what used to be a fort back in the 13 century is definitely worth a visit, especially since Iceland has very few Medieval relics. I would also recommend visiting the museum which is wonderfully decorated and has a lot of information about Snorri and the history of the area. The gift shop has a wonderful selection of books on Icelandic history. Hope they eventually get more funding to continue excavations...

Snorralaug is a great little find in Reyholt and a nice pit stop if you are traveling the Ring Road to or from Reykjavik as it’s only about 20 minutes off Highway 1, less than 2 hours or about 100 km (60 miles) north of Reykjavik. As long as you go without huge expectations, you'll have a good time. This hot spring can’t compare to some others that are in Iceland, but the history that it holds really makes it quite interesting. There is a small fee of 200 ISK as it is a protected site and people come here not to bathe (not allowed) but to see one of the oldest used hot springs in the country and one which was personally used by one of the most famous Icelandic in history, Snorri Sturluson, a poet and politician from the early 13th century. There is even a tunnel that can be entered, that connected the hot spring...