In the heart of Iceland’s uninhabited interior once lay a vital connection between distant regions: Vatnajökulsvegur. Known as one of the country’s ancient highland crossings, this route stitched together the south and east, demanding both knowledge of the land and considerable resolve from those who traversed it.
A forgotten network of paths
Unlike the better-known coastal roads, Vatnajökulsvegur wound across the rugged highlands and skirted glaciers. Its exact course is no longer certain, though historical accounts suggest it may have passed through the Vonarskarð pass or followed a track north of Tungnafellsjökull, then continued along Dyngjujökull and across the Gæsavötn area. These ways offered intrepid Icelanders the shortest link between regions separated by some of the country’s most challenging landscapes.
Records from the 17th century recount that Árni Oddsson, a lawyer, crossed the highlands in 1618 carrying important legal papers. His journey from Vopnafjörður to the national assembly site at Þingvellir illustrates how essential this interior crossing could be for matters of urgency or state.
Explorations and variations
The route was not fixed: travellers navigated a web of possible tracks. Starting at the farm Brú in Jökuldalur, the way headed through Laugarvalladalur and Vestridalur, then reached Fagridalur after seven to eight hours. Beyond this point, the path could involve fording the fierce Jökulsá á Fjöllum river or detouring towards Hvannalindir.
Attempts to map the route in the 19th century brought more clarity and variety. Pétur Brynjólfsson, for example, made the journey by navigating from Brú over glacier streams such as Kverká and Kreppa, taking a southern bearing past Hvannalindir and tracing the edge of Vatnajökull towards Kiðagil, deliberately avoiding Vonarskarð. In contrast, Björn Gunnlaugsson, surveying potential main roads for Iceland, explored both possibilities: in 1838 journeying north of Tungnafellsjökull, while the following year he opted for Vonarskarð.
Travellers also linked Vatnajökulsvegur with longer trans-highland routes. In 1840, the naturalist I. C. Schythe rode from the Sprengisandur plateau north of Tungnafellsjökull to Hvannalindir. This stretch alone took him 34 hours, testament to the endurance such journeys demanded.
By 1844, contemporary maps tried to trace the mysterious route, marking it through Vonarskarð. Over time, however, as roads developed and new pathways were forged around the island, Vatnajökulsvegur faded from widespread use. What remains today are sparse descriptions, explorers’ journals and an enduring sense of the challenges faced by those who crossed Iceland’s glacier-clad heart.
