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Hveragerdi - History

Hveragerði is set on the edge of a large geothermal area and has a relatively short history, being only a few decades old. The Hengill geothermal area is several hundred thousands years old with its oldest part under the town.

The geothermal area was during the centuries primarily used for washing, and the baking of bread in the gravel surrounding the steaming hot springs.

A temperature of 232°C has been measured in boreholes in the Hveragerði area (water boils at 100°C!).

In 1902 energy from the Reykjafoss waterfall was used in a wool-card factory. It marks the beginning of settlement in the town. The most renowned of the hot springs in Hveragerði is Manndrápshver (the Killer), named so after a man fell into the boiling water in 1906 and died.

The earliest use of the geothermal energy was in a dairy owned by the Ölfus district, established 1928.

The first Greenhouse was constructed in 1929; Greenhouse cultivation is the primary industry. They are also heated with the steam that issues from the earth, and there is a small geyser above the town, better activated with soap as encouragement.

The Hengill geothermal area used to be regarded as a nuisance to travellers with the little use, but today it provides energy for the district heating service. Nevertheless, tourists have always regarded it with considerable interest, especially the local geysers Grýla and Litli-Geysir.

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