Discover South Iceland
Glaciers – Geysirs – Volcanoes – Mountains – Waterfalls

Towns : Hveragerði

Hveragerdi is a small town of about 1,700 inhabitants that lies some 45 km east of Reykjavík, Iceland's capital. The town is known for its greenhouses which are heated by hot water from volcanic hot springs in the area and in the town. Even exotic fruits are grown in these greenhouses. The area is part of the Hengill central volcano. In the gardens, you can detect white or red earth which is fuming.

The town is conveniently located on the Ring Road, Iceland's principal highway, and there is a good bus connection with the capital area (just 38 km east of Reykjavik). The area behind the town is a beautiful valley full of mountains, trees, coloured clay & rock, steaming springs that empty into the small river Varmá - one of South Icelands best sea-trout fishing rivers.

Hveragerdi is set in a large geothermal area and has a relatively short history, being only a few decades old. Greenhouse cultivation is the primary industry, with the main emphasis on vegetables but to an increasing extent on flowers as well. Actual utilization of geothermal heat in this country started only around 70 years ago but has now become very well established and today this source of energy is among Iceland's most important natural resources. There are many plans of developing this very environmentally friendly form of energy production more extensively in this region.

Hveragerdi has developed along with technical progress and during the town's short history; geothermal energy has been harnessed by the inhabitants for various proposes. One of the largest swimming pools in the country was built here just before World War II. It is heated with natural hot water, as is the case with almost all swimming pools in Iceland today. In recent years Hveragerdi has become one of Iceland's main tourist attractions because of the hot springs and availability of services for visitors, both in the town and in the surrounding areas. There is a spa located here together with gas stations, supermarkets, hotels, restaurants, flower shops and many other services as well.

Places to visit: Eden, Eldhestar

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