River in Thingvellir National Park, Iceland Poster

"River in Thingvellir National Park, Iceland" by Catherine Sherman. The river Öxará flows through Þingvellir (Thingvellir), a historic site and national park in Iceland, east of Reykjavík. It's known for the Alþing (Althing), the site of Iceland's parliament from the 10th to 18th centuries. The Althing, an open-air assembly representing the whole of Iceland, was established in 930 and continued to meet until 1798. Þingvellir lies right along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the North American and European continental plates are separating from each other According to the park's official website: "No single place epitomises the history of Iceland and the Icelandic nation better than Thingvellir by the river Öxará. At Thingvellir - literally "Parliament Plains" - the Althing general assembly was established around 930 and continued to convene there until 1798. Major events in the history of Iceland have taken place at Thingvellir and therefore the place is held in high esteem by all Icelanders.Today Thingvellir is a protected national shrine. According to the law, passed in 1928, the protected area shall always be the property of the Icelandic nation, under the preservation of the Althing."