Þingvellir was declared a national park in 1930. A law was passed designating Þingvellir as "a protected national sanctuary for all Icelanders, perpetually o...

Þingvellir was declared a national park in 1930. A law was passed designating Þingvellir as "a protected national sanctuary for all Icelanders, perpetually owned by the Icelandic nation under the preservation of the parliament, never to be sold or mortgaged". Þingvellir has been the scene of many special moments in history. The Icelandic parliament, The Althingi, was established here around 930 AD and on 17 June 1944, the Icelanders celebrated their independence from Denmark at Þingvellir.In addition, in the year 2000, Þingvellir was the place chosen in Iceland to celebrate the beginning of a new millennium. The Þingvellir plains lie in the North Atlantic rift that divides Iceland between the North American and Eurasian continents.