Northeastern Region (Iceland) – Goðafoss and the conversion of the year 1000
The Northeastern Region, Norðurland eystra, is closely linked to one of the most famous moments in Iceland's history. According to tradition, after the Althing adopted Christianity around the year 1000, the lawspeaker Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði threw his pagan idols into the waterfall that has since been called Goðafoss, the 'waterfall of the gods'.
The region stretches from fjords and fishing villages on the Arctic coast to volcanic landscapes and highland plateaus. Over the centuries, farming, fishing and trade along Eyjafjörður shaped its communities. Today its largest town is Akureyri, with nearly 20,000 residents, the lively centre of the north. Do you have a story from the northeast? Share it with the community!