Fossatún Troll Garden: Folklore Walks by the Grímsá Waterfalls

If you are touring Borgarfjörður with children, Fossatún is the easiest stop to fit into a morning. It sits on route 50 between Borgarnes and the Hvítá valley, beside the Grímsá river and its rapids, and is built entirely around Icelandic troll folklore. A short story trail winds along the water, past carved trolls and signboards, and it doubles as a genuinely pretty riverside walk for adults who have no particular interest in ogres.

The Troll Garden and Story Trail

The place is the project of Steinar Berg, an Icelandic music-industry figure turned troll-tale author, whose books (illustrated by Brian Pilkington) supplied the characters you meet along the path. Sculptures of trolls stand at points along the trail, and information signs retell West Iceland troll legends in several languages, so English-speaking visitors can follow the stories as they walk. One stop is a cairn drawn from Berg’s book The Last Troll, where an ogress is said to have left her worries and an imprint of her hand in the stone.

Walking the Grímsá and Tröllafossar

The trail follows the Grímsá past Tröllafossar, a run of rapids whose troll-shaped rock formations gave the tales their inspiration. It is an easy, mostly flat walk with wide views over the Borgarfjörður area, and the full circuit takes roughly an hour at a child’s pace — less if you cut it short. The Grímsá is one of Iceland’s noted salmon rivers, fished since the settlement era, so in summer you will often see anglers working the pools below the falls. Keep small children within arm’s reach near the water; the rapids are lively.

Practical Details

• Getting there: about a 15-minute drive from The Hvítá Inn, on road 50 in Borgarfjörður.
• Duration: roughly an hour for the full trail; a good half-morning with young children.
• What to bring: waterproof shoes or boots (the riverside path can be damp), a rain layer, and water. The ground is uneven in places.
• When to go: late spring through early autumn is best for the trail and for spotting anglers; the signage and sculptures are outdoors, so pick a dry window.
• On site: there is a guesthouse, small camping cabins, and a seasonal restaurant, plus a shop where Berg’s troll books are sold.

Check the current arrangement for the walking paths before you set off, as access can vary by season.

Where to Stay

The The Hvítá Inn sits on the bank of the Hvítá river at Hvítárbakki, about 15 minutes from Fossatún, which makes the troll garden an easy pre-lunch outing rather than a day trip — you can walk the Grímsá trail in the morning and be back in the valley for the afternoon. Rooms have private bathrooms, and the inn is well placed for the wider West Iceland circuit. Book direct on Ourhotels.is for the best rate.

Photo: Bromr via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.