Héraðsskólinn

Top choice in The Golden Circle

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A beautifully unique lakeside boutique (originally built in 1928 by Guðjón Samúelsson) identifiable by its distinctive peaked green roofs. The interiors are sleek retro, with subtle nods to its old schoolhouse days. Design features include wooden desks, vintage maps and '50s-style chairs. It offers both private rooms with shared bathrooms (some sleep up to six) and dorms.

There's a cafe and restaurant (7.30am to 10pm) on-site in a spacious library and living room area, which serves dishes like local lake trout and reindeer meatballs (dishes from 1400kr to 3600kr).

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Geysir

    Geysir

    14.7 MILES

    One of Iceland’s most famous tourist attractions, Geysir (gay-zeer; literally ‘gusher’) is the original hot-water spout after which all other geysers are…

  • Iceland - Thingvellir National Park, October, 10, 2014 - Beautiful view of people walking in the seam between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates.

    Þingvellir National Park

    11.46 MILES

    The world’s oldest parliament, Althingi (pronounced ál-thingk-ee; also called Alþing) was uniquely situated at this monumental site where two tectonic…

  • Alþingi Site

    Alþingi Site

    12.13 MILES

    Near the dramatic Almannagjá fault and fronted by a boardwalk is the Lögberg (Law Rock), where the Alþingi (Parliament) convened annually. This was where…

  • Tectonic Plates

    Tectonic Plates

    11.99 MILES

    The Þingvellir plain is situated on a tectonic-plate boundary where North America and Europe are tearing away from each other at a rate of 1mm to 18mm per…

  • Gullfoss

    Gullfoss

    19.8 MILES

    Iceland’s most famous waterfall, Gullfoss is a spectacular double cascade dropping a dramatic 32m. As it descends, it kicks up magnificent walls of spray…

  • Stöng

    Stöng

    29.88 MILES

    Buried by white volcanic ash in 1104 during one of Hekla’s eruptions, this ancient farm once belonged to Gaukur Trandilsson, a 10th-century Viking who…

  • Glymur

    Glymur

    19.8 MILES

    At the head of Hvalfjörður, and up Botnsdalur valley, lies Glymur, Iceland’s highest waterfall (198m). From the trailhead, it’ll take a couple of hours to…

  • Flói Nature Reserve

    Flói Nature Reserve

    25.76 MILES

    Birdwatchers should head 3km northwest of Eyrarbakki to Flói Nature Reserve, an important estuary and marshland on the eastern bank of the Ölfusá. It’s…

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Nearby The Golden Circle attractions

1. Skálholt

8.81 MILES

For centuries (between 1056 to 1785) Skálholt was a political and cultural hub in Iceland, and one of only two areas overseen by bishops. In the wealthy…

2. Skálholt Church

8.83 MILES

This modern church was built to replace the Skálholt cathedral, which was demolished by an earthquake in the 1700s. The museum in the basement tells the…

3. Slakki Petting Zoo

9.78 MILES

For more than 20 years, this petting zoo in small-town Iceland has been a popular hang-out for families passing through the village of Laugarás. Orphaned…

4. Þingvellir National Park

11.46 MILES

The world’s oldest parliament, Althingi (pronounced ál-thingk-ee; also called Alþing) was uniquely situated at this monumental site where two tectonic…

5. Ljósafoss Power Station

11.75 MILES

The 1937 Ljósafoss Power Station catches the outflow of lake Úlfljótsvatn and turns it into electricity. In 2016, an elaborate state-of-the-art multimedia…

6. Þingvallavatn

11.79 MILES

Filling much of the rift plain, Þingvallavatn is Iceland’s largest lake, at 84 sq km. Pure glacial water from Langjökull filters through bedrock for 40km…

7. Tectonic Plates

11.99 MILES

The Þingvellir plain is situated on a tectonic-plate boundary where North America and Europe are tearing away from each other at a rate of 1mm to 18mm per…

8. Þingvallabær

12.04 MILES

The little farmhouse in the bottom of the rift, Þingvallabær was built for the 1000th anniversary of the Alþing in 1930 by state architect Guðjón…