Nupstadur Church Farm

Region: South Iceland
Coordinates: 63.9808199° N 17.816533° W

Nupstadur is the easternmost farm of the Fljot County, just to the west of the largest alluvial / outwash plain of the country, Skeidararsandur, where the glacier burst took place in November 1997 as a result of the sub glacial eruption in October the same year. In earlier times, the farmers of Nupstadur were obliged to guide travellers across this precarious gravel desert and unbridged glacial rivers.

A part of the sod chapel at Nupsstadur dates partly back to the 17th century and is now in the care of the National Museum. The remnants of the old turf houses are also well worth the short detour from the main road. The precipice behind the farm with its bizarre rock formations is also a welcome sight.

Just east of the farm is a 600 m high and precipitous mountain, Lomagnupur. According to the ancient mythology, it is occupied by one of the four main protective spirits of the country, the giant with the iron stick, who is on the Icelandic coins along with the remaining three other figures in the country’s coat of arms. The distance from the capital is about 370 km.

Nupstadur is on the Saga trail for South Iceland.

Sod farms and churches dating back to the 18th century

Nupstadur in Icelandic