Askja & Víti

 Askja is a stratovolcano in the Icelandic highlands and Víti is a warm geothermal lake naturally formed at the bottom of one of Askja’s craters. The unusual landscape of the Askja area was actually used for training astronauts for the Apollo program. …read more to study geology and prepare them for lunar conditions. When you get there you will see why!

The volcano’s name Askja means box or caldera in Icelandic, referring to several calderas situated in the surrounding Dyngjufjöll mountains (1.510m). The word Víti literally means “hell”, stemming from a common belief in the old days that big craters were the gates to the dark underworld.

The road to Askja is about 100 km off the ring road no.1. From where the road ends it is a relatively easy walk of about 2.5 km to the geothermal lake Víti in the Askja caldera where you can go for a swim if your dare and conditions allow. The region is only accessible by 4x4 vehicles for a few months every year (around late June until early October) due to the weather conditions at this high altitude.

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