Þingvellir National Park aims at closing down the parking lot by Flosagjá gorge to preserve the natural serenity of the park and guard against oil spills into the water in Flosagjá. The decision is made in accordance with recommendations from UNESCO. Þingvellir is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Read more: 5 Things to know about the Golden Circle
The park director, Ólafur Örn Haraldsson told the local newspaper Morgunblaðið that the parking lot would only be open to cars carrying elderly or disabled people. Tour buses and tourists would have to use other parking lots and then walk a little further to get to Flosagjá. A parking lot in the middle of one of the most beautiful spots in the park, filled to capacity with tour buses, does not add to the natural beauty, he argues:
“We want to close the parking lot, both due to aesthetic and environmental reasons. The view from the top of Almannagjá gorge is not particularly beautiful when you have blinking car lights all across the park and this parking lot right in the middle.”
There have also been several incidents where large quantities of oil have leaked from tour buses or trucks onto the parking lot, and then found its way into the water in Flosagjá.
Þingvellir National Park aims at closing down the parking lot by Flosagjá gorge to preserve the natural serenity of the park and guard against oil spills into the water in Flosagjá. The decision is made in accordance with recommendations from UNESCO. Þingvellir is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Read more: 5 Things to know about the Golden Circle
The park director, Ólafur Örn Haraldsson told the local newspaper Morgunblaðið that the parking lot would only be open to cars carrying elderly or disabled people. Tour buses and tourists would have to use other parking lots and then walk a little further to get to Flosagjá. A parking lot in the middle of one of the most beautiful spots in the park, filled to capacity with tour buses, does not add to the natural beauty, he argues:
“We want to close the parking lot, both due to aesthetic and environmental reasons. The view from the top of Almannagjá gorge is not particularly beautiful when you have blinking car lights all across the park and this parking lot right in the middle.”
There have also been several incidents where large quantities of oil have leaked from tour buses or trucks onto the parking lot, and then found its way into the water in Flosagjá.
