Berserkjahraun Lava Field: The Saga of the Berserkers’ Road Near Bjarnarhöfn

Between Stykkishólmur and Grundarfjörður, on the north side of the Snæfellsnes peninsula, a stretch of grey-green lava spreads out from the slopes of Bjarnarhafnarfjall. This is Berserkjahraun, a roughly 4,000-year-old lava field whose Icelandic name — “the berserkers’ lava” — comes directly from one of the best-known episodes in the Eyrbyggja saga. Under its thick blanket of moss lies both a striking piece of geology and a story of betrayal that Icelanders have been telling for close to a thousand years.

How the Lava Field Formed

Berserkjahraun was built by four scoria craters strung in a row along the slopes of Bjarnarhafnarfjall, part of the Snæfellsnes UNESCO Global Geopark. Geologists date the eruptions to roughly 3,600-4,000 years ago, making the field one of the older lava flows on the peninsula rather than a product of Iceland’s more recent volcanic history. The lava spread west and north from the craters down toward the coast, and over the millennia moss has colonized almost every surface, softening the jagged rock into the deep green cushions visitors see today. The field lies just west of Helgafell, the small hill sacred in the sagas, and stretches between Stykkishólmur and Grundarfjörður.

The Saga of the Two Berserkers

The Eyrbyggja saga tells of Vermundur the Slim, a farmer at nearby Bjarnarhöfn, who brought two Swedish berserkers, Halli and Leiknir, back from Norway. When Vermundur no longer wanted the pair, he passed them to his brother Víga-Styr, who struck a bargain: if the berserkers could cut a passable road through the lava field to connect the farms, one of them could marry Styr’s daughter. Halli and Leiknir cleared the path in short order, an impressive feat given the rough terrain. Styr, unwilling to honor the deal, had the exhausted berserkers killed in a sweat-bath and buried in the lava rather than let the marriage go ahead.

Berserkjagata Today

The path the two men supposedly built, Berserkjagata, is still visible cutting across the lava field, and it is sometimes described as one of the oldest known constructed roads in Iceland. Excavations near the route uncovered a grave with the remains of two unusually large men, which local tradition has long linked to the saga’s berserkers. A gravel side road loops through the lava field itself, connecting to Route 54, and is generally driveable in good conditions, giving visitors a chance to walk sections of the old path and see the moss-covered craters up close.

• Getting there: About 15-20 minutes’ drive from Stykkishólmur via Route 54, then onto the gravel road through the lava field
• Duration: Allow 30-60 minutes for a short walk on Berserkjagata; longer if exploring the craters
• What to bring: Sturdy shoes for uneven, moss-covered lava; a car suited to gravel roads
• Timing: Best visited in daylight in a rental car; check road conditions in winter, as the gravel loop can be affected by snow and ice

Where to Stay

The Stykkishólmur Inn sits in the walkable old town of Stykkishólmur, about 15-20 minutes’ drive from Berserkjahraun, making it an easy base for a short morning or afternoon detour to the lava field and Berserkjagata before continuing on to Grundarfjörður or back into town for the harbour and Breiðafjörður views. Book direct on Ourhotels.is for the best rate.

Photo: Helga Stolzenwald via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.