Brúarhlöð Gorge

Brúarhlöð is a short, narrow gorge on the Hvítá river in south Iceland, beside the Route 30 bridge about 12 km south of Gullfoss on the Golden Circle. Here the same glacial river that thunders over Gullfoss squeezes between walls and pillars of dark volcanic breccia, at the head of a gorge system that runs for around 10 km downstream.

It is a roadside stop rather than a destination. Ten or fifteen minutes is enough, and the best reason to come is that it sits on the natural loop back from Gullfoss to Flúðir, so you can see the Hvítá in two completely different moods within half an hour. Group coaches do not schedule a stop here, so without a car a private tour that can add Brúarhlöð is the realistic option, since the guide can build side trips into the day.

What is Brúarhlöð?

Brúarhlöð is the uppermost section of a chain of gorges the Hvítá has cut on its way south from Gullfoss. The gorge is narrow and fairly shallow, but because the river is forced through such a tight gap it runs very deep, at least 10 metres under the bridge.

The rock is what makes it look different from the canyon below Gullfoss. The river has carved its bed into breccia, which Icelanders call þursaberg: a pale-brown volcanic rock made of hyaloclastite mixed with small, angular stones of basalt. It erodes unevenly, so the banks are full of knobs, overhangs, potholes and free-standing pillars rather than the clean, layered walls of a basalt canyon.

The gorge is also where the river is easiest to cross. The banks close in so tightly that this has been the bridging point on this stretch of the Hvítá for more than a century, and brú, the Icelandic word for bridge, is the first part of the name.

How the breccia at Brúarhlöð formed

The rock at Brúarhlöð began as an eruption under ice or water. When lava meets meltwater it cools almost instantly and shatters into glassy grit and broken fragments, and over time that debris cements into the soft, brownish rock Icelanders call móberg. At Brúarhlöð the móberg also holds small, angular chunks of basalt, which is what makes it a breccia.

Because the rock is a mixture, it wears away unevenly. Softer patches wash out first, leaving harder knobs, ledges and columns standing, and stones trapped in eddies grind out round potholes in the riverbed and banks. Karl and Kerling are simply the parts that have so far resisted the river.

The Hvítá between Gullfoss and Brúarhlöð

The Hvítá, the "white river", rises in Hvítárvatn at the foot of Langjökull and runs south across the highland edge before dropping over Gullfoss into Hvítárgljúfur, its canyon below the falls. Below the canyon the river widens again, and the breccia only closes in once more at Brúarhlöð, just south of the mountain Tungufell.

From the head of the gorge at the Route 30 bridge, the chain of narrows continues downstream for around 10 km to Haukholt in Hrunamannahreppur. Most of that length is hard to reach on foot, which is why the bridge is where people see it.

Karl and Kerling: the rock pillars

The best-known features are two breccia pillars standing in the river, called Karl and Kerling, the old man and the old woman. Pairs of rocks with these names turn up in several parts of Iceland, often linked to folk tales of trolls caught by the sunrise and turned to stone.

You see them from the bank near the bridge. In high summer the water around them turns a milky turquoise, with the dark rock and the green birch scrub on the slopes above, and it is the view most photographs of Brúarhlöð show.

The bridge at Brúarhlöð and the King's Road

The river has been bridged here since 1906. The first bridge, made of timber, was built for the visit of the Danish king Frederick VIII in 1907, when the King's Road was laid through the upper districts of Árnessýsla, the most expensive road project Iceland had seen. The king and his party rode across the bridge at Brúarhlöð on their way through the region.

That bridge did not last. Floods swept it away in 1929, and its replacement went the following year. The depth of the river during those floods is thought to have reached close to 21 metres, which is probably the greatest depth recorded in any Icelandic river, and it explains how a river that looks calm in summer could carry off a bridge. The Flúðir municipality's history of the bridge sets out the sequence.

The bridge you drive over today was built in 1959. Park in the car park rather than pulling over on or beside the bridge, which is on a working road with fast traffic.

Rafting on the Hvítá through Brúarhlöð

Brúarhlöð is one of the best-known stretches of white water in south Iceland. The banks above the gorge are lower, and rafting trips put in upstream, then run down through Brúarhlöð with its narrow chutes and rock walls before taking out further down.

Rafting here is a summer activity, done with a licensed operator who supplies the drysuits, helmets and guide. The Hvítá is cold and powerful, so never enter the water on your own. For the wider picture of the river from source to sea, and what rafting it involves, see our page on rafting on the Hvítá.

How to get to Brúarhlöð

Brúarhlöð lies on Route 30 (Skeiða- og Hrunamannavegur), which runs south from Route 35 just below Gullfoss towards Flúðir. From Gullfoss it is about 12.5 km, roughly a ten-minute drive, and from Flúðir about 21 km. The gorge is right beside the bridge where the road crosses the Hvítá.

From Reykjavík it is about 114 km by road, but almost nobody drives here directly. It works best as part of a loop: Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss on the way out, then south on Route 30 past Brúarhlöð to Flúðir and back to the Ring Road at Selfoss. That avoids retracing Route 35 and adds the Secret Lagoon or a meal at Flúðir to the end of the day.

Route 30 is paved but quieter and narrower than Route 35, with some blind crests. In winter, check the road status on umferdin.is before choosing it over the main Golden Circle road.

Parking and facilities at Brúarhlöð

There is a small car park beside Route 30 at the bridge, and the viewpoints over the gorge are a short walk away across rough ground. A parking charge has been collected here in recent years, but there is no official published rate, so check the signs when you arrive.

There are no toilets, no café and no shelter. Bring what you need from Gullfoss or Flúðir, and take any rubbish away with you.

Safety at Brúarhlöð

The gorge looks harmless, but the river is not. It is deep, fast and close to freezing, with strong currents running between the rocks, and anyone who falls in is in immediate danger. There are few barriers along the edge.

Keep well back from the drop, especially when the rock is wet or icy, because breccia is crumbly and slippery. Hold children by the hand, keep dogs on a lead and resist the urge to climb onto the pillars or the outcrops for a better photo. In an emergency, call 112.

What to wear at Brúarhlöð

Ordinary outdoor clothes are enough for a short stop, but the ground matters. The path from the car park crosses uneven, lumpy rock and grass that stays wet for much of the year, so wear shoes with a decent grip rather than smooth trainers, and add slip-on spikes in winter.

The gorge is sheltered compared with Gullfoss, but wind still funnels along the river. A windproof layer and a hat make a ten-minute stop far more comfortable between October and April.

Best time to visit Brúarhlöð

May to September is the best time. The rocks are dry, the birch scrub on the slopes is green, and the Hvítá carries enough glacial silt to turn a pale, milky blue that contrasts with the dark breccia. Long summer evenings also let you stop on the way back from Gullfoss after the crowds have gone.

Winter visits are possible, and snow on the pillars can look dramatic, but the ground is icy, the light is short and the car park may not be cleared. If you come between November and March, stay on flat ground near the road and keep the visit brief.

How long to spend at Brúarhlöð

Ten to fifteen minutes is enough to walk to the viewpoints, see Karl and Kerling and take photographs. Allow half an hour if you want to wander along the bank a little further downstream, where the gorge continues.

On the Route 30 loop it costs almost no extra time, and it is one of the few places on the Golden Circle where you can see a glacial river at close quarters without a crowd.

Photographing Brúarhlöð

The classic shot looks down the gorge from the bank near the bridge, with a pillar in the foreground and the turquoise channel running away between the walls. A wide lens helps, because you are close to the rock, and a polarising filter cuts the glare off the water and deepens the colour.

Light matters more here than at the big waterfalls. On a bright day the river glows; under heavy cloud it turns a flat grey-green. Late afternoon and evening in summer usually give the softest light on the breccia, and the site is quiet enough that you can take your time.

Is Brúarhlöð worth stopping for?

Yes, if you are already on Route 30. It is quick, free to walk and quiet, and it adds something the main stops do not: a close, calm look at a glacial river squeezed through rock, with a piece of road history attached.

It is not worth a long detour on its own. If you are driving back from Gullfoss the way you came on Route 35, skip it; if you are taking the loop south through Flúðir, stop.

Things to do near Brúarhlöð

Gullfoss is ten minutes north, and seeing the two together shows how one river can look so different within a few kilometres. Our page on Gullfoss, 12 km upstream covers the viewpoints and parking there.

Heading south, Route 30 runs through the farmland of Hrunamannahreppur towards Flúðir. Hruni, with its small church on a hillside above the village, is a short detour near the end of the drive, and many of the farms along the road grow vegetables under glass, heated by the local hot water.

Flúðir itself has the Secret Lagoon, Iceland's oldest swimming pool, and most of the services you will need at this end of the route. Our page on Flúðir and its hot springs explains what the village has to offer.

Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons