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Gullfoss, Iceland

Elisabeth Yorck von WartenburgSeptember 13, 2016

The Gullfoss is Iceland's most famous waterfall. A farmer's daughter can be thanked for the fact that this natural beauty still exists today.

https://p.dw.com/p/1K0NB


Some 1,200 cubic meters per second of water plunge into the deep canyon via two cascades. The spray in the 'Golden Falls' create a rainbow effect that delights hordes of tourists. They can get very close to the cascading waters thanks to a ledge in the rock face. At one point, some British speculators hoped to use the waterfall to generate electricity. Sigríður Tómasdóttir, a local farmer's daughter, campaigned against the project. It's only when she threatened to throw herself into the waters that the plans were ended. A monument has been erected to her next to the waterfall.