Which national park in Iceland is a UNESCO World Heritage site for its tectonic rift?

Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park is the Icelandic national park recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site and famous for its tectonic rift.

The park lies in a rift valley where the North American and Eurasian plates are pulling apart along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Faults such as Almannagjá visibly cut through the landscape, while the nearby Silfra fissure is filled with exceptionally clear water. This geology makes Þingvellir one of Iceland’s best-known places for seeing continental drift.

The site is also central to Icelandic history. The Alþing, Iceland’s national assembly, met there from about 930 until 1798. Þingvellir became a national park in 1930, commemorating the assembly’s millennium, and UNESCO inscribed it in 2004.

One nuance is often missed: UNESCO’s inscription is officially cultural, based on the historic Alþing and its traditions, even though the tectonic landscape is a major reason visitors associate the site with World Heritage status. The name is commonly anglicized as Thingvellir.