MOSFELLSDALUR

Mosfellsdalur (“Mosfell Valley”) is a wide agricultural valley just outside Reykjavík in the municipality of Mosfellsbær. Framed by gentle mountains such as Helgafell and Mosfell and watered by the Kaldakvísl river, it is a peaceful patch of countryside within easy reach of the capital, with farms, greenhouses and grazing Icelandic horses dotting the landscape.

The valley is best known for two things: horse riding and literature. Its quiet trails and open scenery make it one of the most popular places near Reykjavík for riding the Icelandic horse, and several long-established stables offer tours from here. Mosfellsdalur was also home to Iceland’s Nobel laureate Halldór Laxness, whose house, Gljúfrasteinn, still stands in the valley as a museum.

How to get to Mosfellsdalur

Mosfellsdalur lies about 20 km from central Reykjavík, roughly a 30-minute drive. From the city you take Route 1 north to Mosfellsbær, then follow Route 36 (the Þingvallavegur) into the valley. The same road continues on towards Þingvellir National Park and the Golden Circle, making the valley a natural first stop on a self-drive day east of the capital.

Attractions close to Mosfellsdalur

Horse riding

The valley’s sheltered terrain and quiet tracks make it ideal for riding the sure-footed Icelandic horse, a breed found nowhere else. Tours suit complete beginners and experienced riders alike, and run year-round from farms in the valley.

Gljúfrasteinn – Halldór Laxness Museum

Gljúfrasteinn was the home of Halldór Laxness, winner of the 1955 Nobel Prize in Literature, who lived and wrote here for decades. The house is preserved much as he left it and is now a museum open to visitors, offering a glimpse into the life of Iceland’s most celebrated author.

Þingvellir and the Golden Circle

Mosfellsdalur sits on the road towards Þingvellir National Park, the first stop on the Golden Circle, about a 30-minute drive further on. From there the classic route continues to the Geysir geothermal area and the Gullfoss waterfall, so the valley makes an easy starting point for a day of sightseeing.