Gullfoss, Waterfall in Biskupstungur, Iceland
Gullfoss is a waterfall in Bláskógabyggð formed by two separate drops along the Hvítá river that together descend about 32 meters (105 feet). The cascades throw glacier-fed water into a narrow canyon whose dark volcanic walls taper downward.
Around 1920 an English company leased Gullfoss to build a dam and generate electricity. Sigríður Tómasdóttir of the nearby farm Brattholt campaigned against the scheme with lawyer Sveinn Björnsson, later president of Iceland, and the contract lapsed over a late rent payment. A 1977 plan to divert three quarters of the river was also rejected, and the falls became a conservation site in 1979.
The name Gullfoss means "Golden Falls". Sigríður Tómasdóttir, daughter of co-owner Tómas Tómasson, campaigned around 1920 against a planned power station, reportedly threatening to throw herself into the falls; a stone memorial above the falls shows her profile. A 1977 plan to divert three quarters of the water was also rejected.
A visitor center with restrooms and a café sits near the viewing platforms, which are connected by paved paths. The site remains open year-round, though winter conditions can make paths icy and require sturdy footwear.
In summer, the flow can reach 140 cubic meters (4,944 cubic feet) per second, creating a spray cloud that often forms a rainbow. The canyon itself is roughly 70 meters (230 feet) deep and only 21 meters (69 feet) wide, giving the impression that the water vanishes into the earth.
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