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{{Short description|Area in Southwest Iceland}}

Krýsuvík

[[File:Krýsuvík volcanic system 2014 03.jpg|thumb|300px|Grænavatn, Krýsuvíkurskóli, Sveifluháls with geothermal areas]]

{{Coord|63.89520|-22.05606|display=title}}

{{for|the volcanic landforms around Krýsuvík|Krýsuvík (volcanic system)}}

'''Krýsuvík''' (also '''Krísuvík''', both pronounced {{IPA|is|ˈkʰriːsʏˌviːk|}} in [[Icelandic language|Icelandic]]) is an area in [[Southwest (Icelandic constituency)|Southwest Iceland]] at about 35 km from [[Reykjavík]].

==Geography and access==

The geothermal area '''Krýsuvík''' is situated on the [[Reykjanes]] peninsula in [[Iceland]]. It is in the south of Reykjanes in the middle of the [fissure (geology)|[fissure]] zone on the [[Midatlantic Ridge]] which traverses Iceland diagonally from the south-west to the north-east of the island.

It is situated on the [[Reykjanes peninsula]] between [[Þorlákshöfn]] and [[Grindavík]] and accessed by Routes 42 and 427.<ref>Ísland Vegaatlas. Reykjavík 2006, p. 1</ref>

== Name ==

Krýsuvík is one of Iceland's high temperature areas. This becomes visible through the sulphur springs and hot springs at ''Seltún'' and another similar area nearby.

The name Krýsuvík means "bay of Krýsa," a folk tale figure from the area. ''Krýsa'' {{IPA|is|ˈkʰriːsa|}} was an old woman who, together with her cousin ''Herdís,'' {{IPA|is|ˈhɛrˌtiːs|}} could use witchcraft. They had a discussion about the borders of their respective lands; one wanted to cast a spell so that all the fish in a nearby lake would be hairy, the other intended to bring up a storm and let all fishermen die. The dispute ended with the death of both of them. The folk tale says that they were buried side by side, and the place of the graves is still known to locals.{{cn|date=November 2022}}

The ''Ögmundarhraun'' {{IPA|is|ˈœɣˌmʏntar̥ˌr̥œyːn̥|}} lava flows which were emitted by the nearby [[Krýsuvík (volcanic system)|Krýsuvík volcanic system]] in the 12th century, destroyed the Krýsuvík farm, which was located at the coast, and filled up the bay.<ref name="Sn2">Snæbjörn Guðmundsson: Vegavísir um jarðfræði Íslands. Reykjavík 2015, p. 24</ref>

At Seltún, one finds by now some explanations to the phenomena to see, a wooden show path and hiking trails leading up the mountain ''Sveifluháls'' behind.

==History==

[[Image:Krysuvik.jpg|thumb|Krýsuvík]]

[[File:Krisuvikurkirkja.jpg|thumb|The old Krýsuvikurkirkja, March 2007]]

There were farms in the vicinity from the Middle Ages till 1945.<ref name="Sn2"/> After the eruption known as the [[Krýsuvík fires]] in the middle of the 12th century, probably in 1151-1188, the main farm was transferred to a place under the mountain Bæjarfell. The name Krýsuvík was still used for the farm, though the buildings were at a distance of some kilometers from the sea.<ref name="Sn2"/> The farm had a reputation for being very rich till the end of the 19th century. Being near the sea, the farm had additional income from fishing and hunting. Commerce was also done, because the farm was a junction of old trails from the north to the south coast.<ref name="Sn2"/> Also the sulfur of the nearby geothermal areas was mined and exported.<ref name="Vega">Vegahandbókin. Ferðahandbókin þín. Landmælingar Íslands og Vegahandbókin. 2014, p. 213</ref> However, Krýsuvík was too far away from upcoming industry and commerce and therefore abandoned in the middle of the 20th century.<ref name="Sn2"/>

Árni Gíslason, one of the richest people in Iceland in the 19th century, lived in Krýsuvík.<ref name="Vega"/> In 1949, a new farm (Fjósið) was constructed near the maar Grænavatn, but for many reasons, never used much as such.<ref>https://ferlir.is/krysuvik-althydublad-hafnarfjardar-1949/ Ferlir. Retrieved 2. August 2020.</ref>

The biggest lake in the area ''Kleifavatn'', began to diminish after a big earthquake in 2000. 20% of its surface have since disappeared.

As all the estate farms in Iceland, Krýsuvík had its own small [[proprietary church]], in this case from the 13th century until 2010. The last building was a 19th century timber church built in 1857.<ref name="v">https://it.visiticeland.com/plan-your-trip/travel-search/search-results/view/krysuvik?type=place Krýsuvík in: Visit Iceland. Official Tourism Information Site. Retrieved 2 August 2020.</ref> The church was then changed into an apartment building for some time after 1927. In 1964, the mayor of [[Hafnarfjörður]] had the church renovated and used for weddings and placed under the protection of the [[National Museum of Iceland|National Museum]]<ref name="Vega" /> as part of the National Museum’s Buildings Collection.<ref name="v" /> It burned down in January 2010.<ref name="Vega" /> An association was formed to build a replica, which was done by students and teachers at the technical school in Hafnarfjörður. The replica was driven to the site by truck and unloaded in 2020.<ref>[https://www.fjardarfrettir.is/frettir/ny-krysuvikurkirkja-komin-i-krysuvik New church arrived in Krýsuvík. Fjarðarfréttir 9 October 2020 (in Icelandic)]</ref>

Some of the minor lakes show also the influence of volcanism and such, so f.ex. ''Grænavatn'' with its luminous green colour.

==Sites==

In this area, there had been some farms till the 19th century. But they had to be given up. Only a small chapel remains and can be visited.

[[File:Grænavatn5.jpg|thumb|The maar Grænavatn with the buildings of the "new" farm]]

[[File:Seltún Aug. 2018 05.jpg|thumb|Geothermal area of Seltún in 2018]]

[[File:Iceland Ögmundarhraun Vigdisarvellir IMG 0163.JPG|thumb|Aerial photographs of Ögmundarhraun lava field]]

[[File:Krýsuvíkurbjarg01(ws).jpg|thumb|Sea cliffs of Krýsuvíkurbjarg]]

[[File:Fratercula arctica09(js).jpg|thumb|Puffins at Krýsuvíkurbjarg]]

Under the mountain Bæjarfell is a boarding school for young people who have problems with drug abuse.<ref>Íslandshandbókin. Náttúra, saga of sérkenni. Reykjavík 1989, p. 55</ref>

In the vicinity are some [[maar]]s and the high temperature geothermal area of ''Seltún'', all part of the [[Krýsuvík (volcanic system)|Krýsuvík volcanic system]]. The largest lake in the area, [[Kleifarvatn]], began to diminish after an earthquake in 2000; 20% of its surface disappeared by 2005, but it had filled up again by 2019. Many interesting{{editorializing|date=May 2021}} tuff rock formations are to be found at its western coast near Route 42 on the slopes of [[Sveifluháls]].

===External links===

The ''Ögmundarhraun'' lava field south of Krýsuvík includes some [[kīpuka]]s, vegetation islands in the lava field, which can be reached by hiking trails. One of them, the Húshólmi {{IPA|is|ˈhusˌhoulmɪ|}}, contains some ruins of the medieval farm of Krýsuvík.<ref>Reynir Ingibjartsson: 25 Gönguleiðir á Reykjanesskaga. Náttúrann við Bæjarveggin. Reykjavík 2014, p. 88-93</ref> Scientists identified some stone fences within the same kipuka as being older as the official [[Ingólfr Arnarson|time of settlement (874)]]. They used [[tephrochronology]] and saw that the famous [[bimodal volcanism|bimodal]] settlement tephra (''landnámslagið'') derived from a combined eruption series within the [[Bárðarbunga-Veiðivötn volcanic system|Bárðarbunga-Veiðivötn]] and [[Torfajökull volcanic system|Torfajökull systems]] in the years 871-874, was covering these structures.<ref>Reynir Ingibjartsson: 25 Gönguleiðir á Reykjanesskaga. Náttúrann við Bæjarveggin. Reykjavík 2014, p. 88</ref>

Photos

*[http://www.islandsmyndir.is/html_skjol/sudvesturland/krisuvik/mynd_storar/svl_krisuvik_2665.htm]

A jeep track runs down to the sea from Krýsuvík and Route 427. It ends at the high cliffs of ''Krýsuvíkurbjarg'' {{IPA|is|ˈkʰriːsʏˌviːkʏrˌpjark|}} or ''Krýsuvíkurberg'' {{IPA|is|-ˌpɛrk|}} which are renowned as [[bird cliff]]s with thousands of Icelandic sea birds like [[arctic tern]]s, [[Atlantic puffin|puffins]], [[Northern fulmar|fulmars]] and more.<ref name="Vega" /> About 63,000 pairs of birds were counted there shortly before 2014. But the cliffs, which can be reached on foot, are also a window in the geologic past.<ref>Reynir Ingibjartsson: 25 Gönguleiðir á Reykjanesskaga. Náttúrann við Bæjarveggin. Reykjavík , p. 94-99</ref> The lava flows covering the area came mostly from the crater up on [[Stóra-Eldborg undir Geitahlíð|Geitahlíð]] tuya, not from the Krýsuvík, but from the neighbouring [[Brennisteinsfjöll]] volcanic system. The area is protected as part of ''[[Reykjanesfólkvangur]]''.<ref>Reynir Ingibjartsson: 25 Gönguleiðir á Reykjanesskaga. Náttúrann við Bæjarveggin. Reykjavík , p. 99</ref>

*[http://www. projectdream.de/is_krisuvik.htm#?]

Krýsuvík is a popular hiking area, and tourism infrastructure such as wooden pathways has been developed.

The music video for the song "[[Never Forget (Greta Salóme and Jónsi song)|Never Forget]]" by [[Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir|Greta Salóme]] and [[Jón Jósep Snæbjörnsson|Jónsi]] was filmed in this area.

==See also==

* [[Krýsuvík fires]]

==References==

{{Commons category}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Krysuvik}}

[[Category:Farms in Iceland]]

[[Category:Hafnarfjörður]]

[[Category:Reykjanes Volcanic Belt]]

[[Category:Krýsuvík Volcanic System]]

[[Category:Southern Peninsula (Iceland)]]