The damage to the ecosystem caused by the catastrophe of 1783-1784 resulted in death of 50% of Iceland’s livestock, followed by famine that took away 25% of Iceland’s human population. The eruption lasted for 8 months.
Hidden between two glaciers — Mýrdalsjökull and Vatnajökull — and carefully protected from tourist crowds by bumpy mountain tracks, it is a visual treasure with a chillingly powerful story.