Exploring cultures and communities – the slow way

For many young Icelanders, the four-day trek along the Laugvegur is a rite of passage that in summer affords a relatively safe encounter with ‘untouched nature’. It takes in terrain that has helped shape Icelandic culture, memory and identity.

article summary —

Just as every Slovene aspires to climb Triglav once in their life, and every Swede wants to walk at least a small part of the Kungsleden, so the hike that fires the Icelandic imagination is the Laugavegur. It is typically undertaken as a four-day trek from north to south, starting at Landmannalaugar and ending at Þórsmörk. The hut at Hrafntinnusker is the usual overnight stop at the end of the first day’s hike from Landmannalaugar.

The very idea of the Icelandic nation is deeply rooted in wilderness. As the singer Björk put it: “Iceland and its pure, untouched nature are synonymous. If that is lost, then our uniqueness is lost.” For many young Icelanders, the four-day Laugavegur trek is a rite of passage that affords a relatively safe encounter with that ‘untouched nature’.


This is just an excerpt. If you are a subscriber to hidden europe magazine, you can log in to read the full text online. Of course you can also read the full article in the print edition of hidden europe 66.

About the authors

hidden europe

and manage hidden europe, a Berlin-based editorial bureau that supplies text and images to media across Europe. Together they edit hidden europe magazine. Nicky and Susanne are dedicated slow travellers. They delight in discovering the exotic in the everyday.

This article was published in hidden europe 66.