Drekkingarhylur (Drowning Pool) is a deep pool in the river Öxará located within Thingvellir National Park. The site is historically significant because it was used as a place of execution during the time of the Althingi in earlier centuries. Women who were convicted of certain crimes, such as infanticide or adultery, were drowned in the pool as punishment. Today the site is a quiet historical landmark that reflects a darker chapter of Iceland’s legal history.

QUICK NOTES:

• What it is: A historic execution site in Thingvellir where women were drowned as punishment, mostly in the 1600s and 1700s

• Best season: Accessible year-round.

• Best time of day: Least busy in the morning.

• Nice to know: Well, not so nice to know, but records suggest that at least 18 women were executed at Drekkingarhylur between the 17th and 18th centuries.