Berserkjahraun (literally: the berserkers’ lava) is a beautiful and remarkably accessible lava field on the Snaefellsnes peninsula. See how to get there and where its name comes from.
Beautiful lava field
The Berserkjahraun lava field lies in the central northern part of the Snæfellsnes peninsula. It was formed by the Ljósufjöll volcanic system some 4,000 years ago, and the craters those eruptions left behind still stand here in a fairly even line. Black and red sand, green islands of moss and patches of red and orange rock make the field look like nothing else on the peninsula.
Although Berserkjahraun is not one of the famous stops in Iceland, people who do drive through it usually come away impressed.
It is also very easy to reach: in decent weather you can drive right through the middle of it in almost any car. The road winds between walls of solidified lava, and that alone is worth the detour.
In several places the road widens into convenient pull-offs where you can stop the car and walk out for a closer look at the lava. Wear decent shoes and watch your step – the rock is sharp and slippery, and a twisted ankle is easy to come by.
Video: The beautiful lava field of Berserkjahraun.
The legendary history of Berserkjahraun
The name Berserkjahraun translates literally as the lava, or lava field, of the berserkers. Berserkers were warriors said to go into a battle rage in which they felt no pain and gained enormous strength, but also lost their judgment and attacked anyone nearby, their own allies included. According to some sagas, a berserker in a rage could even turn into a huge bear…
The name comes from one of the Icelandic sagas – Eyrbyggja Saga. In the story a farmer named Víga-Styr brought two berserkers over from Sweden to his farm in this area, and later handed them on to his brother, who lived on the far side of the lava field. One of the berserkers fell in love with Víga-Styr’s daughter and asked for her hand. Víga-Styr set a condition: the girl in exchange for clearing a road across the lava between his farm and his brother’s. He thought the task impossible, but the two warriors made short work of it. Instead of keeping his promise, Víga-Styr had them killed and buried near the path. A grave of two men was in fact found near here in modern times…
How to get to Berserkjahraun
The turn-off to Berserkjahraun from road 54
Berserkjahraun is in the northern part of the Snaefellsnes peninsula, west of Road 56 and south of Road 54, between Stykkisholmur and Grundarfjordur. The road through the field is numbered 558, and all three of its entrances lead off road 54, the main “bypass” of the peninsula.
Even if you have no time to stop, it is worth leaving road 54 here and driving the loop through the lava. The whole road is only about 10 km (6 miles) long, so it costs you very little time, and you will remember it.
The road through Berserkjahraun is winding gravel, but there are no serious climbs or other obstacles that would call for a 4×4. What it does have on both sides is solidified lava frozen into shapes you will not see anywhere else, and that makes the drive genuinely spectacular.
