Original subtitles

(wind rushing)

(intense dramatic orchestral music)

- Our journey begins in the northwest corner

of Iceland, where the small isolated town

of Patreksfjordur lies beneath a towering fjord.

Moving east, it's on to the icecap

atop the Drangajokull mountain range.

We travel over lakes and more mountains

to visit an old salting factory before going on to explore

the puffin paradise at Grimsey Island.

It takes us to the medieval town of Holar

and its archeological dig.

In the heart of the northwest,

we find the charming city of Akureyri,

the region's de facto capital.

At the majestic Vatnejokull National Park,

we follow a mighty glacial river

to end our journey at the formidable Dettifoss waterfall.

Stretching out into the icy waters of the Denmark Strait

are the Westfjords, a jagged peninsula

in the northwest corner of Iceland,

perched on the very edge of Europe.

It's known for its rugged beauty and isolation

and for its tight knit communities

that have spawned a unique and self-reliant culture.

♪ Aah haa-ah ♪

- Since most of this region in mountainous

towns and villages have grown up on narrow strips of lowland

that separate the mountains from the fjords.

♪ Hah ha-hah-hah ♪

- Geographically cut off from the outside world

the more than 600 residents in the village of Patreksfjordur

have a strong regional identity

and are deeply connected to the landscape.

♪ Ah aah ♪

- The Westfjords were first settled

by the Vikings in the 9th century.

And long before there were roads,

settlers depended on the sea to move from place to place.

♪ Hah ha-hah ♪

- Today, paved and gravel roads connect villages

and towns across the mountains

but there are no shortcuts.

Roads meander around the endless and intricate fjords

carved by ancient glaciers.

It's been said that in the Westfjords

all roads are scenic routes.

♪ Ah-aah ♪

- The region is known for its dramatic

and unpredictable weather.

A sunny day can quickly give way to rain or snowflakes.

♪ Ah ah-hah ♪

- It's a place where winter lasts

nearly half the year.

♪ Ah-hah ♪

- Even in summer the mountains are snow capped

and temperatures rarely rise above 20 degrees Celsius.

But the warm hues of Iceland can be found year round,

a palette of white in winter

and shades of green and gray in spring.

Moving east over Onundarfjord

we find the village of Flateyri,

once a base for shark and whaling expeditions.

Today it's a popular destination for foreign sea anglers

and the site of a popular sand castle competition.

But the spirited village of fewer than 300

suffered an unfortunate tragedy in 1995.

Two large avalanches

swept down the steep mountain behind the village

in January and October,

burying homes and killing dozens of people.

An earthen dam was built to protect the village

from the winter snows.

A new protective wall has done its job well.

In recent years it has deflected snow away from the village

in the midst of several avalanches.

The tragedy stands as a reminder of the power of nature

and the vulnerability of residents

who live beneath the country's towering mountains.

(evocative instrumental music)

Flying into the town Isafjordur in a small passenger plane

is not for the faint-hearted,

though it's a lot easier in our helicopter.

Passengers are treated to an unforgettable experience

as the plane banks steeply around the narrow fjord

then skims past the sheer mountainside

before flying over the colorful city suburbs

then dropping safely onto the landing strip.

Isafjordur, or ice ford,

is nestled in a curving spit of land

jutting out into the sea.

Steep mountains rise up on either side of the bay

like protective castle walls.

It's the largest city in the Westfjords,

a fearless frontier town of 3,000

still clinging to a traditional way of life.

It's a cozy place filled with old world architecture

and a strong tradition of music and art.

The brightly colored dwellings seen from above

are common throughout Iceland

and are a testament to the sunny disposition

of the Icelandic people.

The city boasts the largest collection

of old timber frame houses in the country.

It's no surprise that fishing is an important industry

in Isafjordur.

But new restrictions for fishermen

and a decline in fish stocks have led to industry cutbacks.

Many residents have left to seek employment

in the bright lights of the nation's capital, Reykjavik.

Iceland is known for its play of light.

Home to the midnight sun in summer,

and the ethereal Northern Lights in winter.

Fjords have a unique connection to the sea.

They were formed when the glaciers retreated

leaving U-shaped valleys in their wake.

Water rushed in to fill them, forming steep-sided inlets.

And creating one of the most dramatic

landscape features on Earth.

(ethereal evocative music)

Geologists from around the globe come to Iceland

to unlock the mysteries of the Earth's formation.

Millions of years ago the rest of the world was formed

by the same processes ongoing in Iceland today.

It's a young country, and still a land in the making.

Thankfully for the visitor, most of the country's treasures

are clearly visible to the eye.

There are 15 active volcanoes, 10,000 waterfalls,

more than 200 named glaciers, and immense lava fields.

All packed into a country

that would fit into the size of England.

Moving south across Westfjord,

we rise up over the Drangajokull ice cap,

the country's northernmost glacier.

It lies in the uninhabited Hornstrandir peninsula,

now a nature reserve,

and an area of outstanding natural beauty.

Glaciers cover 11% of the country,

reflecting shades of white, black and blue

across the frozen landscape.

South of the glacier the sky is reflected in a melting lake,

a reminder of the pristine nature of the island.

Ranked the cleanest country in the world,

Iceland is an environmental success story.

Nearly all of its energy demands

are met by renewable resources.

The country's pure ecosystem is also a source of pride

to its residents,

with rivers and streams that are free of pollutants

and provide water that is clean and fresh from the tap.

Nobel author Halldor Laxness,

set one of his novels here in Djupavik,

where vast fortunes were made in the herring industry.

(gentle instrumental music)

Drawing its heyday in the 1930s, this old salting factory

processed unlimited numbers of herring.

But by the mid-1950s herring stocks dwindled

and the plant was forced to close.

Today it stands as a stark reminder

that fortunes made from the sea have waxed and waned

throughout the country's history.

But Iceland stands in the forefront of nations

that have moved toward conservation of fish stocks

by monitoring fish populations and establishing quotas.

Cod is the most important stock in Iceland,

accounting for about a third of its earnings from the sea.

But despite two decades of restrictions

the cod catch has never returned to its historic levels.

Moving south, we climb up the sheer sides

of one of the high lava peaks of the Westfjords.

(soaring instrumental music)

And across the clear reflections of a glacial lake

to our last stop in the western reaches of Iceland,

the puffin paradise of Grimsey Island.

A 10 minute boat ride from the small fishing village

of Drangsnes on Steingrimsfjordur bay

brings us to the island which boasts a rich bird life

of puffins, cormorants, and other birds.

Farmers and fishermen lived on Grimsey

until the 20th century,

but it's now inhabited by many bird species,

including a large colony of puffins,

which sadly for us was here earlier in the year.

Other visitors to this region include polar bears

which drift in on icebergs from the Arctic Circle,

and occasional walrus

that swim from the eastern shore of Greenland

100 kilometers away.

♪ Aah ah-ah a-a-ah ♪

- Leaving the Westfjords we find a gentler,

more fertile landscape in Iceland's northwest region.

♪ Ah ah-ah ♪

- And along this beach near Blonduos,

we see what happens when hot lava meets cold water.

It produces black sand,

creating some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

♪ Aah ah-ah-ah ♪

- With evening drawing in

we reach the town of Saudarkrokur.

♪ Ah-Ah ah-ah-ah-ah ♪

- It has the only airport in the area

with flights to Reykjavik five times a week.

And also, a place for us to stop overnight.

Beyond fishing, Saudarkrokur is home to another industry,

the only one of its kind in the world, a fish tannery.

Since 1991 the family-run tannery

has been turning fish skin into leather.

After it's exported, it's made into luxury shoes and purses.

These wooden structures are used for drying cod fish,

another important product for export.

This town boasts the largest cod fish drying operation

in Iceland.

European countries have been drying cod

for more than 500 years in much the same way.

It's one of the world's oldest preservation methods.

Once dehydrated by the wind and sun

cod parts are packaged in a warehouse here

and even exported to Nigeria as stock fish

where it is used in many varieties of soups.

Moving southeast, we see powerful glacial rivers

carve their way through deep volcanic canyons

on their journey to the ocean.

This birds eye view of the Jokulsa River

flowing along the black volcanic sand

shows an amazing array of lines, colors, and patterns,

like an abstract painting.

Rivers like these have numerous channels

that split off and rejoin each other

and are most often found in glacial regions.

Of course, the best place to view these works of art

is from above, where the intricate patterns

are visible to the eye.

Traveling south, and behind this ridge, is Holar,

one of Iceland's most famous historical sites

and home to an agricultural university

that specializes in horse breeding.

(gentle piano music)

Early in the 12th century,

and well after Christianity was brought to Iceland

by Norwegian missionaries,

Holar become the northern See of the Iceland Church.

For the next seven centuries the hamlet flourished

as a cultural and educational center,

playing an important role in Icelandic politics.

But in 1550, during the Reformation,

the last Catholic bishop, Jon Arason

was taken south and beheaded, along with his two sons.

Excavation in the small village

have been ongoing by archeologists for more than a decade

and a more substantive picture of life at Holar

is slowly coming to light.

Thousands of artifacts have been found,

along with footprints.

And amongst the medieval buildings unearthed

are a farmhouse and a feasting hall.

Every year in autumn, sheep and horses

are rounded up from the grazing areas along these mountains

and are led home to villages in nearby valleys.

The day the animals are paraded back to their corrals

is an annual event with traditional songs, dancing,

and a good amount of drinking.

The evening celebrations last until the small hours

of the morning, long after the horses

have found their way back home.

(emotive instrumental music)

We are now approaching the majestic lava peaks

of the Drangafjall mountain range.

Shaped by glaciers and cold arctic temperatures

its highest point is called Steeple Rock,

standing at 1,075 meters.

Below the mountain stands the birthplace

of the beloved Icelandic poet, Jonas Hallgrimsson,

who wrote a love poem, "Journey's End"

about a young man grieving for his lost love

near Steeple Rock.

The star of love over Steeple Rock

is cloaked in clouds of night.

It laughed, once, from heaven on the lad

grieving deep in the dark valley.

The peak was finally scaled in 1954

and the climbers were rewarded with these magnificent views.

Traveling east, we follow the road

as it passes through the valley of the river Horga

on its way to Akureyri on the edge of Eyjafjordur.

(ethereal music)

This little city is the de facto capital of the north.

It may also be the happiest place in Iceland.

Well kept houses grace tree lined streets.

The stoplights are heart-shaped,

and thanks to the town's adoption

of the ascetic movement in the early 20th century,

there are many fine buildings,

including the Lutheran church,

which was completed in 1949 and towers over the city.

It's a prosperous place.

Two of the country's biggest fishing companies

are headquartered here, along with a busy marine port

and several universities.

Like all Icelanders,

residents here enjoy spending time in thermal pools,

and thanks to the country's geology,

there is an abundance of naturally heated

geothermal water to fill them.

The Icelandic people take their swimming seriously.

Students can't graduate from school

until they have mastered the skill.

Despite being only 100 kilometers from the Arctic Circle

the city and surrounding area

enjoy some of the country's warmest weather,

a fact not lost the city's many visitors.

Moving east, we fly across

the most fertile farmland in the country.

The local farms here

are in the business of raising livestock.

Most of the animals in Iceland are direct descendants

of those brought to the island by the early Viking settlers.

Directly east is the Husavik lighthouse,

keeping watch over the Skjalfandi bay.

Although the northeast is one of Iceland's

most isolated areas the pretty fishing town of Husavik

pulls in the crowds thanks to its nickname,

the Whale Watching Capital.

Its bay is rich in plankton and fish.

Attracted by the feast,

a wide variety of large sea creatures swim in these waters,

including the elusive blue and beluga whales.

Not far from the port at Husavik is Lundey Island.

Crowded with puffins from April to August

the seabirds don't seem to mind

the island's rather diminutive size.

Atlantic puffins, black guillemots,

fulmars, and Arctic terns

come back each year in droves to breed and nest,

seemingly unaware that they're a major tourist attraction.

Traveling inland and away from the fjords

we find Godafoss falls,

whose name translates as the waterfall of the gods.

(soaring orchestral music)

In the year 1000, Thorgeir Thorkelsson,

the lawspeaker of the Icelandic parliament

made Christianity the official religion of Iceland.

To mark the occasion

he threw his pagan statues into the water here,

making Godafoss the symbolic site of Iceland's conversion.

Whilst not the tallest waterfall in the country,

Godafoss is famed for its beauty.

If there's one experience that defines the country,

it's the classic Icelandic soak.

An abundance of geothermal energy

ensures that virtually every town in Iceland

has a naturally heated pool.

(light uplifting music)

Piping hot water is siphoned off to public pools

from a nearby geothermal power plant.

This lagoon above Myvatn is manmade,

but its pure water has unique characteristics.

It's alkaline and filled with natural minerals

and trace elements along with a bit of sulfur.

It's considered to have a positive effect on respiratory

and skin conditions.

The Icelandic tradition of bathing outdoors

dates back to Viking times.

A bit further east in a lunar-like landscape,

we find the mud pools of Hverirand.

Steaming ponds of bubbling black mud.

Visitors to this area

feel as if they've landed on another planet.

These mud pools form in rainwater ponds

when steam and gas beneath the earth rise to the surface.

The acidic gases break down surface rocks

which turn into clay.

The clay-rich soil then mixes with the pond water

to produce a muddy steam-heated slurry.

According to legend this area of Iceland

was made by an envious devil

while God rested on the seventh day.

South of the mud pools is the Krafla Power Station

whose job is to harness some of the raw energy of the land

and convert it into electricity.

This power plant, the largest in Iceland,

is strategically located near the Krafla Volcano,

taking advantage of the area's geothermal energy supply.

Cool, fresh water is piped down to the Earth's hot crust

and raised to temperatures above a 100 degrees celsius.

The resulting steam is used to spin turbines

to produce electricity.

More than 90% of Icelandic homes

are heated with geothermal water.

Moving east, we see another example of nature's power,

the waterfalls flowing from the Jokulsa a Fjollum River

and Vatnajokull National Park.

This is the Hafragilsfoss waterfall.

(emotive instrumental music)

And downstream is the more humble Selfoss waterfall,

at just 11 meters high.

You can hear the mighty Dettifoss waterfall

long before you see it, a testament to its sheer power.

It's Europe's largest, boasting 500 cubic meters of water

spilling over its edge every second.

What it might lack in height and width

is made up for in the sheer volume of thunderous water

crashing through the narrow channel

and dropping to the gorge below with a plume of spray

that can be seen a kilometer away.

Melting ice and snow feed the rivers of Iceland,

which is still a relatively young country

in geological terms.

And young rivers, like young boys, are much more boisterous

than the calm, meandering rivers in older countries.

The waterfalls here stand as a testament

to the youthful vibrancy of Iceland.

In this land of 10,000 waterfalls,

Dettifoss is surely one of the most impressive.

And a very popular stop on the tourist route.

It's the perfect place to end this journey.

(dramatic orchestral music)