The Stone Refuge at Jökulsá á Fjöllum

Norðurland eystra · Island · Abandoned site

No traveller dared sleep in this stone refuge hut – a shaggy monster the size of a yearling calf was said to rampage there at night.

By the glacial river Jökulsá á Fjöllum near Grímsstaðir stands a stone refuge hut from 1883, built to shelter travellers on the desolate crossing of the highlands. The hut never quite served its purpose: travellers told of roaring and commotion, of being touched in the dark, and of a shaggy monster the size of a yearling calf that dwelt in the house, while dogs refused to enter and at times it sounded as though the roof were being torn off. The rumours meant many preferred to sleep under the open sky rather than within its walls. The house, which also provided the setting for Gunnar Gunnarsson's classic novella Advent, is now in the care of the National Museum of Iceland and still stands by the riverbank – empty, silent and with its reputation intact.

FAQ

Where is The Stone Refuge at Jökulsá á Fjöllum located?

The Stone Refuge at Jökulsá á Fjöllum is in Norðurland eystra, Island.