Hvalfjörður, west Iceland
Hvalfjörður (Icelandic: Whale fjord) is situated in the west of Iceland 31 miles north of Reykjavík between Mosfellsbær and Akranesand. The fjord is approximately 19 miles long and 3 miles wide and gives an excellent opportunity to enjoy the unique beauty of Icelandic fjords.
The name Hvalfjörður is derived from the large number of whales which could be found and caught there in the past. In addition the fjord also contained a large number of herring fisheries.
During World War 2, a naval base for the UK and USA navies could be found in this fjord. One of the piers built by the USA navy is today used by the Hvalur whaling company for the processing of Fin Whales, partially for the domestic market and mostly for export to Japan.
Until the late 1990s, travel by car involved a long detour of 38 miles around the fjord in order to get from the city of Reykjavík to the town of Borgarnes. In July 1998, the Hvalfjarðargöngin tunnel was opened to public traffic. The tunnel is approximately 3.5 miles in length and cuts travel by car around the fjord by about an hour. The tunnel runs to a depth of 550 feet below sea level.
Date: 1st June 2015
Location: view from road 47 around Hvalfjörður
The name Hvalfjörður is derived from the large number of whales which could be found and caught there in the past. In addition the fjord also contained a large number of herring fisheries.
During World War 2, a naval base for the UK and USA navies could be found in this fjord. One of the piers built by the USA navy is today used by the Hvalur whaling company for the processing of Fin Whales, partially for the domestic market and mostly for export to Japan.
Until the late 1990s, travel by car involved a long detour of 38 miles around the fjord in order to get from the city of Reykjavík to the town of Borgarnes. In July 1998, the Hvalfjarðargöngin tunnel was opened to public traffic. The tunnel is approximately 3.5 miles in length and cuts travel by car around the fjord by about an hour. The tunnel runs to a depth of 550 feet below sea level.
Date: 1st June 2015
Location: view from road 47 around Hvalfjörður
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Also in: West Iceland
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