Thingvellir Church is a small wooden church in Thingvellir National Park, in South Iceland. The building dates from 1859 and replaced earlier churches on the same spot, where a church has stood since Iceland accepted Christianity around the year 1000. Visitors can go inside and sit down; the interior is spartan. The church stands on the floor of the rift valley next to the farmhouse used as the prime minister's summer residence, and a footpath links it with the park visitor centre.
Thingvellir Church
Local name: Þingvallakirkja
The present church dates from 1859, but a church has stood on this spot since Iceland accepted Christianity at the Althing around the year 1000.
- Entrance
- Free; interior open only at times
- Accessibility
- Short, near-level walk from the road and car park
- Parking
- Parking at the site, with wheelchair-accessible spaces.
- Transport
- Within Þingvellir National Park (Route 36)
- Address
- Þingvellir National Park, 806 Þingvellir
What makes it special
The church standing here now was built in 1859: a timber nave, white walls, a small tower over the door. Inside it is spartan — pews, a pulpit, almost no decoration, and room to sit down. A church has stood on this spot since Iceland accepted Christianity at the Althing around the year 1000, so the site is much older than the building on it. The church sits on the floor of the rift valley, and the fault walls of the plate boundary are visible from the churchyard. The white gabled farmhouse beside it (Þingvallabær) serves as the summer residence of Iceland's prime minister.
Good to know
- No toilets. There is no toilet at the church itself.
- Do not throw coins into the river. A reminder on the bridge asks visitors to stop; the river is not a wishing well.
- The interior is spartan. A tiny nave, pews and almost no decoration — there is little to see beyond the room itself.
Getting there
The church stands inside Thingvellir National Park, and visitors reach it by car; there is parking at the site. A footpath runs beside the church and leads to the visitor centre, crossing the river by a bridge. It works in either direction, so the church can be the start of that walk or the end of it.
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Frequently asked questions
Can you go inside Thingvellir Church?
Yes. Visitors go in and sit down. The interior is spartan — a tiny nave with pews and a pulpit, in the manner of small Icelandic country churches.How old is the church?
The building dates from 1859. The site is far older: a church has stood here since Iceland accepted Christianity at the Althing around the year 1000.Are there toilets at the church?
No. There is no toilet at the church itself.What is the house next to the church?
The white gabled farmhouse beside the church is Þingvallabær, used as the summer residence of Iceland's prime minister.Can you walk from the church to the visitor centre?
Yes. A footpath starts beside the church and runs to the visitor centre, crossing the river by a bridge.