In Iceland, farmers drive their flocks into mountain pastures in the summer, where the sheep graze without human intervention through the green months. 

This is The Fjallabak Nature Reserve,  established in 1979. The Nature reserve is 47.000 hectares and is over 500 meters above see level. The land is mountainous, sculptured by volcanoes and geothermal activity, covered by lavas, sands, rivers and lakes so there is plenty of space for the sheep there to  roam around this beautiful landscape

There is a breathtaking place in Þjórsárdalur valley, called Gjáin, which is one of the hidden treasures of Iceland. It is small, but ever so beautifully framed by the surroundings. There is a short  easy hike for about 10-15 minutes to Gjáin and all of a sudden this beautiful fairyland opens up with waterfalls, columnar basalt and such lush vegetation

Here in Iceland sheep are sent to run free and graze in mountain pastures from spring until autumn. The animals are cold hardy and have a strong, reactive immune system. The sheep have evolved over 1,100 years under difficult farming conditions in Iceland, with a resultant sturdy and efficient constitution.

On a trip up to the highlands the other day I came upon this friendly and curious one horned ram standing in the middle of the road just like that. We almost had to push him out of the way

If you come to Iceland and want to go off the beaten track you visit the Westfjords. It´s where Iceland’s dramatic landscapes come to a riveting climax and where mass tourism disappears – only about 14% of Iceland’s visitors ever see the region

One of it´s many fjords is Patreksfjrdur where this picture was taken late august evening

Lake Hnausapollur is a creature lake up in the Icelandic highlands and is a part of the Fjallabak Nature Reserve. It was formed around 1130 years ago by an explosive volcanic eruption and it´s old name was Litlavíti, meaning Small Hell since back in the days many people thought that volcanic craters were gates to Hell

Crater lakes can be found in many places in the highlands and can be really beautiful. 

Hjálparfoss (whose name means Helping Falls) is a double waterfall that is split over two separate flumes that joins at its base.  The falls are situated in Fossá river in Þjórsádalur.  The surrounding area is a remnant of various eruptions from Iceland’s most active volcanoe, Hekla.
In earlier times travelers, who  crossed Sprengisandur highland route, found great aid in reaching the water and lush vegetated area to graze their horses after their long journey over the desert, hence the name 

The Icelandic Westfjords are very mountainous; the coastline is heavily indented by dozens of fjords surrounded by steep hills. Westfjords. Isolation has preserved the region in relatively unspoiled wilderness and it´s largely uninhabited

Everything here is extreme – from the table mountains, up to 600 meters (2.000 ft) high that dominate the landscape, plunging precipitously into the Atlantic to the long and deep fjörds

From up there the view is breathtaking like this one from the mountain road of Dynjandisheidi

The Icelandic summer nights can be so beautiful. The sun lust dips under the horizon for a short time before rising again and it never gets dark

This photo was taken around 2 am only a short walk from the Reykjavik city center. When visiting Iceland during the summer months don´t go to sleep too early or you will miss the most beautiful bart of the day

The Reykjanes Peninsula in southwest Iceland is an amazing place, for many reasons. The area is defined by its large lava fields, historical volcanism, numerous hot springs, geothermal energy and rugged landscape as well as plenty of wild, rocky coastline with associated birdlife