Austurdalur
{{short description|Valley in Skagafjörður, Iceland}}
{{infobox valley|photo=Mónikubrú á Jökulsá austari (3692891903).jpg|photo_alt=Moníka's bridge over the eastern Jökulsá river spanning two sides of a gorge|photo_caption=Monika's bridge over the Austari-Jökulsá in Austurdalur|name=Austurdalur|coordinates={{Coord|65|19|16.687|N|18|57|42.368|W}}|country=Iceland|region=Skagafjörður|river=Austari-Jökulsá}}
Austurdalur ("east valley") is a valley in interior Skagafjörður, Iceland. The Austari-Jökulsá, one of the two sources of one of the Héraðsvötn's forks, runs through it. The only residence in the valley is at Bústaðir, and there is a church at Ábær.{{Cite web |date=2020-05-04 |title=Austurdalur í Skagafirði - NAT ferðavísir |url=https://is.nat.is/austurdalur-i-skagafirdi/ |access-date=2025-02-25 |language=is}}
Geography
The {{Lang|is|Austari-Jökulsá|italic=no}} is a notable feature of Austurdalur's landscape and it runs somewhat to the west along the middle of the valley, although the valley is rather narrow. Inside the valley, the river runs around sandbanks, but when it arrives in {{Lang|is|Skatastaðir|italic=no}}, it forms a very deep gorge, which it rushes through all the way down until it joins the Vestari-Jökulsá, and together they form the {{Lang|is|Héraðsvötn|italic=no}}. There are small birch trees throughout the gorge, and people go white-water rafting there.{{Cite web |title=Austurdalur Travel Guide |url=https://guidetoiceland.is/travel-iceland/drive/austurdalur |access-date=2025-02-25 |website=Guide to Iceland |language=en}} There is a bridge over the river between {{Lang|is|Skatastaðir|italic=no}} and {{Lang|is|Bústaðir|italic=no}}(both of which are west of the river) often called {{lang|is|Monikubrú|italic=no}} ("Monika’s bridge") after the influential Monika of Merkigil.{{Cite news |date=2014-11-25 |title=Monika á Merkigili |trans-title=Monika of Merkigil |url=https://timarit.is/page/6088089?iabr=on#page/n26/mode/2up |access-date=2025-02-25 |work=Morgunblaðið |page=27 |language=is}}
Some tributaries flow into the {{Lang|is|Jökulsá|italic=no}} river, most of which originate at {{lang|is|Nýjabæjarfjall|italic=no}} mountain, which separates the valley from the interior of Eyjafjörður. The tributaries include {{lang|is|Ábæjará, Tinná, Hvíta, Fossá|italic=no}}, and other rivers.{{Cite web |title=ÚRSKURÐUR ÓBYGGÐANEFNDAR: Mál nr. 2/2008 Eyjafjarðarsveit vestan Eyjafjarðarár |trans-title=RULING OF THE UNPOPULATED AREAS COMMITTEE |url=https://obyggdanefnd.is/wp-content/uploads/07A_2008-2_urskurdur.pdf |access-date=2025-02-25 |website=obyggdanefnd.is |pages=91, 99, 108 |language=is |format=PDF |publication-date=2008}}
The enormous Merkigil gorge in the northernmost part of the valley was, for a long time, the primary obstacle for travelers from the eastern part of the valley getting to town in {{Lang|is|Skagafjörður|italic=no}}. Starting from the southern portion of the valley, there was only a narrow footpath for navigating the edge of the cliff, so it was not possible to transport wool goods to the market in {{Lang|is|Skagafjörður|italic=no}}, but there were cargo paths over {{lang|is|Nýjabæjarfjall|italic=no}} to Eyjafjörður. This allowed people to travel into {{lang|is|Leyningsdalur|italic=no}} valley and sell wool in Akureyri.{{Cite book |last=Árnason |first=Jón |url=https://baekur.is/bok/26f746bd-5a16-419b-8e84-c20e29dfbdd8/4/134/Islenzkar_thjodsogur_og#page/n133/mode/2up |title=Íslenzkar Þjóðsögur og Ævintýri |publisher=Bókaútgáfan Þjóðsaga |year=1956 |location=Reykjavík |pages=119, 120 |language=is |trans-title=Icelandic folk tales and stories |chapter=2. grein Frá Fornmönnum}} When the farm buildings in Merkigil were built, all the materials were brought in by horse across the gorge.{{Cite web |title=Monika frá Merkigili |url=https://www.glaumbaer.is/is/syningar/monika-fra-merkigili |access-date=2025-02-25 |website=Byggðasafn Skagfirðinga |language=is}} In 1997, Helgi Jónsson, the last farmer in Merkigil, died in the when he fell into the ravine on the way to a meeting with one of his neighbors who was waiting for him on the other side.{{Cite news |date=1997-01-25 |title=Helgi Jónsson |url=https://timarit.is/page/1871321?iabr=on#page/n39/mode/2up/inflections/true |access-date=2025-02-25 |work=Morgunblaðið |page=41 |language=is}}
The national poet Bólu-Hjálmar built himself a new farm in the valley which he named {{lang|is|Nýibær}} ("new farm") where he lived for a time.{{Cite web |date=1975-10-12 |title=Á slóðum Bólu-Hjálmars: Í Eyjafirði og Skagafirði |trans-title=On the path of Bólu-Hjálmar: in Eyjafjörður and Skagafjörður |url=https://timarit.is/page/3297180?iabr=on#page/n9/mode/2up/inflections/true |access-date=2025-02-25 |website=timarit.is |pages=10, 11 |language=is}}
Plant life in the valley is diverse and vegetation has grown along the hillsides. In {{lang|is|Fagrahlíð|italic=no}} there are natural birch and willow forests, with trees up to six meters tall. Angelica and dwarf fireweed grow in the ravine and on the river's sandbanks.{{Cite web |date=2022-04-01 |title=Í Austurdal í Framhéraði Skagafjarðar {{!}} Feykir.is |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220401081427/https://www.feykir.is/is/frettir/i-austurdal-i-framheradi-skagafjardar |access-date=2025-02-25 |website=web.archive.org}}
Farms
Farms on the east side of the valley include Merkigil, Ábær, {{lang|is|Nýjibær, Tinnársel|italic=no}}, and {{lang|is|Hildarsel|italic=no}}. {{lang|is|Bústaðir|italic=no}} and {{lang|is|Skatastaðir|italic=no}} are on the west side.
Gallery
Austari-Jökulsá01.jpg|Rafting on the eastern Jökulsá
Kláfurinn við Skatastaði yfir Jökulsá austari (3689226159).jpg|Kálfurinn við Skatastaði
Merkigil1.jpg|View of a footpath in going up Merkigil
Merkigil2.jpg|Animal pens west of the river in Bústaðir, west of the river
Skatastaðir.jpg|Skatastaðir seen from Ábær
Austurdalur2.jpg|Horse riding in Fagrahlíð, between Hildarsel and Hvítá
External links
- [https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/1321997516#map=11/65.3475/-18.9456 Austurdalur on OpenStreetMap]