The lava, wilderness and tall mountains around the Askja volcano make it an unforgettable landscape. This active volcano in the Odadahraun area, north of the Vatnajokull glacier wasn’t explored until the 19th century.

It was formed during a period of intense volcanic activity when a magma chamber beneath Askja emptied back into the earth during successive eruptions, causing the floor of the crater to sink. In 1875, Askja erupted so violently around 20 billion cubic yards of volcano material was ejected within a few hours.

The resultant valley filled with water to form Lake Öskjuvatn at 220 metres deep, the deepest lake in Iceland.