Follow travel- and nature photographer Michel Hammann on his trails around the globe
Iceland
Iceland is situated just south of the Arctic Circle, 970 km west of Norway and 285 km to the
east of Greenland.
The area covers 103,000 km² (more than 2,5 times the Netherlands). From west to east, the
greatest distance is 500 km and 300 km from north to south. The coastline has a length of 5,000 km.
Iceland has over 300,000 inhabitants, of which about 200,000 live in the capital Reykjavik and its surroundings.
Follow Michel Hammann on his trails through Iceland and let yourself be captured by the beauty
of this island: an unspoiled landscape of majestic glaciers, active volcanoes, lava flows, cascading waterfalls and black sand deserts.
The outlet glacier Fjallsjökull flows down from the Vatnajökull ice cap, by far the largest glacier mass in all of Europe. It covers an area of roughly 8,000 sq. kilometers (5,500 sq. miles) and is almost 1,000m thick at its deepest point, with an average thickness of 500m and a total ice volume of 3,300 km3.
Geldingadlur volcano eruption
What has long been anticipated by geologists happened on Friday evening, March 19, 2021 after an increased seismic activity on the Reykjanes peninsula for over a year. In the Geldigadalur valley, just south of the dormant Fagradalsfjall volcano, the Earth's crust ripped open and red-hot magma found its way to the Earth's surface.
Because a fissure eruption does not have violent explosions of lava, ash clouds and volcanic rock, you can get fairly close to the eruption. We visited the eruption site mid July 2021. Read the complete report here!
Iceland is Hot!
Feel the power of Iceland's waterfalls
Panorama Iceland
Glacier hiking at Sollheimájökull
A journey toward the center of the earth...
One of the the three craters of the Thrihnukagigur volcano.
With a cable lift we descend into the pit and reaches the magma chamber of the volcano.
Descending into a volcano is virtually impossible in practice. After an eruption, the residual liquid rock solidifies in the main vent and magma chamber, sealing off all access. Even so, there is apparently one exception, the Thrihnukagigur volcano which can be found just 30 minutes from Iceland’s capital Reykjavik. After the last eruption, now 4,000 years ago, the remaining magma flowed back to the intestines of the earth, as if someone had pulled the plug out of a bathtub, leaving an empty main vent and magma chamber. This magma chamber is so large, it could easily hold the American Statue of Liberty. The huge untouched cathedral-like space is composed of burned, broken and torn rocks. Gases and extremely high temperatures have stained the rock with varied colors.
Read the complete report about our descent into the volcano, an amazing and incredible experience!
Video report of the descent through the pit to the magma chamber of the Thrihnukagigur volcano.
Geysir - the most photographed natural phenomenon in Iceland!
The geothermal area in Haukadalur, about 100 kilometres from the capital Reykjavik and home of the one and only Geysir in Iceland, is without doubt the most photographed natural phenomenon in Iceland. The Geysir itself is not erupting anymore, but even gave its name to this spectacular phenomenon.
Today the nearby Strokkur bursts out every few minutes and sends up a column of water and steam with enormous force up to 35 meters.
My challenge was to capture the phenomenon in a most original way. The panorama is stitched out of 9 original shots of one eruption of Strokkur. Such an eruption takes a few seconds.
In the gallery a selection of my most favorite Iceland shots
 JökulsárlónThere are numerous icebergs floating on the stunning glacial lagoon Jökulsárlón, which have calved from the Breidamerkurjökull, one of the glacier tongues of the Vatnajökull ice cap. |  Black Ice - SkaftaffeljökullThe glacial tongues of the Skaftaffel flows in slow motion down from the Vatnajökull ice cap, by far the largest glacier mass in all of Europe (8,000 km2/5,500 sq. miles). There are a number of large active volcanoes under the ice cap. The Skaftaffel glacier tongues are partially colored black by volcanic ash. |  Ice ClimbersClimbers are facing the amazing and chaotic ice fall of the glacier Falljökull, that flows from the Vatnajökull icecap. Depending conditions they will explore this outlet glacier with its impressive ice formations. |
|---|---|---|
 SvínafellsjökullThe effects of the recent eruption of the Grimsvötn volcano (May 2011) are still visible where shades of black ash decorates the surface of the glacier Svínafellsjökull in South-East Iceland. |  Atlantic PuffinA visit to Iceland's vast seabird colonies is a hightlight of a trip. A proportion of the 6 million Atlantic puffins on Iceland breed on the cliffs of Hafnarhölmi (East-Iceland). |  Skogáfoss WaterfallFeel the power of Iceland's 60 meter high waterfall Skógafoss situated on the Skógá River in the South of Iceland at the cliffs of the former coastline. |
 A dantesk world of ice and volcanosHiking over the glacier peaks of Sólheimajökull in South Iceland. The ash layers and solidified lava is the result of the 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjalla volcano. We ended up in a dantesk world of ice and volcanos... |  SvínafellsjökullIcelandic glaciers are a wonderland of forms and colours. |  ICE-landic LandscapeICE-land offer outstanding opportunities for landscape photography. |
 Outdoor AdventuresHike to a unique and enthralling world of ice on the southern edge of the Vatnajökull ice cap. |  Land of Ice and FireKrafla area in North Iceland, one of Iceland's most active volcanic areas, where the lava is still steaming hot since the last eruption in 1984. |  Icelandic BirdsThe Icelandic white wagtails atrract in winter to West-Africa. |
 Gulfoss WaterfallThe "Golden Waterfall" Gulfoss, located on the Hvitá river in Southern Iceland, cascade 32m down in two stages. We were lucky with a colorful rainbow created by the sun on the spraying water! |  Icelandic LandscapeA pseudo crater in the valley of Mýrdalsjökull glacier, one of the largest in Iceland. |  Iceland's majestic peaksThe southern coast offers the most majestic peaks in Iceland. A hike over the Skaftafellsheiði in Skaftafell National Park along the edge of the Vatnajökull ice-cap (Europe's largest glacier) offers amazing views! |
 Lake MyvatnLake Myvatn, on the edge of the desert Ódadahraun, with 2,500 years ago formed pseudo craters. |  Volcano - live!Iceland is being continuously shaped by volcanic actvity. |  VatnajökullThe Vatnajökull ice cap has around 30 outlet glaciers spilling out from its icy plateau. |
 SólheimajökullHikers climbing the glacier peaks of Sólheimajökull in South Iceland. By the eruption of the Eyjafjalla in 2010 the glacier is contaminated with ash that the ice shades in all kinds of varries grey and even black colors. |
|---|
 Encounter with the elementsThe Krafla is a central volcano in the north of Iceland with a caldera of about 10 km in diameter and a 90 km long fissure zone, which are caused by the continental drifts. There have been 9 eruptions here between 1975 en 1984 and we still see the fresh black lava and smoking fissures and fumaroles. |  Brúarárfoss, South IcelandThis waterfall is 'hidden' in the Golden Circle. You reach the spot after a long hike. |
|---|
Summer Glacier Hike Falljökull
 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
An impression of a hike to a unique and enthralling world of ice on the southern edge of the Vatnajökull ice cap. After a walk along the valley of the Falljökull, we strap on crampons and continue our hike to the slopes of the glacier. This adventure is an amazing experience in a scenic and beautiful world of incredible ice formations. An awe-inspiring ice fall stoically falls hundreds of meters off the mountain top and flows in slow motion towards the ocean. Ash of recent volcanic eruptions shades the surface of the glacier.