Kirkjubæjarklaustur

The village Kirkjubæjarklaustur (160 inhabitants) is situated in the south of Iceland at the hringvegur (road no. 1) between Vík í Mýrdal and Höfn. Kirkjubaejarklaustur by Tillea. ... Kirkjubaejarklaustur by Tillea. ... 1. ...

The village is historically very interesting. Even before the times of first settlement in Iceland, Irish monks are said to have lived here. Since 1186, a well known monastery of benedictine nuns has been here for about 400 years till the reformation. The names of a waterfall (Systrafoss which means the waterfall of the sisters i.e. nuns) and of the lake Systravatn on the highland above the village are referring to this monastery. Folk tales are illustrating the history with stories about good and sinful nuns as well as a treasure in the lake. A Roman Catholic monk A monk is a person who practices monasticism, adopting a strict religious and ascetic lifestyle, usually in community with others following the same path. ... Events John the Chanter becomes Bishop of Exeter. ... Buddhist monastery near Tibet A monastery is the habitation of monks. ... The longest lasting of the western Catholic monastic orders, the Order of Saint Benedict traces its origins to the adoption of the monastic life by St. ... In general, a nun is a female ascetic who chooses to voluntarily leave the world and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent. ... The Protestant Reformation was a movement which began in the 16th century as a series of attempts to reform the Roman Catholic Church, but ended in division and the establishment of new institutions, most importantly Lutheranism, Reformed churches, and Anabaptists. ...

Today, the village is an important service center for the farms in the region as well as for the tourists and weekend visitors. A lot of people from Reykjavík have their weekend huts on a nearby lake.

The village is prospering because of its position. From there, some touristical high-lights are not too far away like the Laki craters, the Eldgjá and Skaftafell National Park. The name Laki has more than one meaning:- A town called Laki in Plovdiv district in Bulgaria. ... Eldgjá is a volcanic canyon in Iceland. ... Mountains in the national park Skaftafell National Park is situated between Kirkjubæjarklaustur and Höfn in the south of Iceland. ...

Very near to the village, there is Kirkjugólf, the so-called church pavement of basalt. There are basalt columns in the earth, but only the top can be seen. Basalt Basalt is an extrusive igneous rock, sometimes porphyritic, and is often both fine-grained and dense. ...

See also: List of cities in Iceland, History of Iceland Following is a list of some significant cities and towns in Iceland. ... The following account of the settlement of Iceland is based on traditional sources written down more than a century after the events took place. ...

External links

• http://www.chez.com/sjislande/Ekirkju.htm