Kirkjufellsfoss in western Iceland translates to Church Mountain Falls in English; and its name is derived from the distinctive Kirkjufell Mountain, which is located nearby just to the north on the north coast of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
Kirkjufellsfoss in Western Iceland: A Game of Thrones Location
The source of the water for Kirkjufellsfoss is the Kirkjufell River in the eastern part of the Helgrindur mountain ridge, which flows through a canyon past the Þröskuldar Cliffs.
Kirkjufellsfoss is the lowermost waterfall in the Kirkjufell River and is located just above the highway.
A folk tale preserved by oral tradition tells of a woman who lived on Kirkutell farm. She had two sons who both drowned in the waterfall while fishing. The woman therefore cast a spell saying that no fish would ever be caught in the river and that no one would drown there. Neither had come to pass.
The above photograph shows a view of the small decaying bridge which crosses over the top of the Kirkjufell River just before it reaches the top of Kirkjufellsfoss.
The top of the bridge offers an expansive view of the Kirkjufell River with rapids after the rushing water passes through Kirkjufellsfoss.
The waters of the Kirkjufell River then pass the small parking lot for Kirkjufellsfoss while they run off into Grundarfjörður Bay before heading out into the North Atlantic Ocean.
At 463 meters tall, if Kirkjufell Mountain looks familiar to you, that may be because the arrowhead mountain was one of the filming locations for seasons 6 and 7 of Game of Thrones.
Ideas about harnessing Kirkjufellsfoss to generate electricity for the growing district were discussed not long after 1940; but they had not yet become reality.
Blocking development may be best in terms of preserving the natural environment around the waterfall, the river, and the mountain.
The glacial water of the Kirkjufell River comes from the Snaefellsjokull glacier.
Visitors can stop on either side of the waterfall or the river to relax to the sound of rushing water passing by them.
Unfortunately, cold, grey, and densely foggy weather was not conducive for taking a photograph of both Kirkjufellsfoss and Kirkjufell Mountain.
Final Boarding Call
Give yourself at least 30 minutes to enjoy viewing Kirkjufellsfoss on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in western Iceland.
No admission is charged to see Kirkjufellsfoss; and the viewpoint is never closed to anyone who wants to visit it. No facilities are available at the site itself. Parking is available in a small parking lot but reportedly is no longer free of charge and currently costs 700 Icelandic króna — which is slightly greater than five United States dollars.
Plan to spend at least two hours and twenty minutes to drive the approximately 181 kilometers from Reykjavik — although the site is only a drive of 26 minutes east of Svöðufoss and the lookout overlooking Ólafsvíkur. Bring a jacket, coat, or other garments to keep you warm against what could potentially feel like brutally cold winds.
All photographs ©2018 by Brian Cohen.
