Don't for a minute think it's all about the great outdoors. The counterpoint to so much natural beauty is found in Iceland's cultural life, which celebrates a literary legacy that stretches from medieval sagas to contemporary thrillers by way of Nobel Prize winners. 

its sagas turned brutes into poets, and its stories of huldufólk (hidden people) may make believers out of skeptics. Here you'll find some of the world's highest concentrations of dreamers, authors, artists, and musicians, all fuelled by their surroundings.

Iceland is not concerned with endless winter nights, isolation, or a small population with a passion for culture. Iceland's literary heritage begins with its medieval sagas and extends to its current best-selling Nordic crime novels. Bloody and mystical, the sagas from the late s. XII and the s. XIII are one of Iceland's greatest cultural achievements. The Passíusálmar (Psalms of the Passion) by Reverend Hallgrímur Pétursson, from 1659, sung or read during Lent, became a success.

All Icelanders seem to play in some group and the country produces a disproportionate number of musicians of international stature. The lifestyle and landscapes inspire artists in film, art and design.

Live music is everywhere, as is a visual art, handicrafts, and locavore cuisine. The world's most northerly capital is home to the kind of egalitarianism, green thinking, and effortless style that its Nordic brethren are famous for – all of which is wrapped in Iceland's assured individuality.

An underpopulated island marooned near the top of the globe, Iceland is, literally, a country in the making. It's a vast volcanic laboratory where mighty forces shape the earth: geysers gush, mudpots gloop, ice-covered volcanoes rumble, and glaciers cut great pathways through the mountains. Its supercharged splendor seems designed to remind visitors of their utter insignificance in the greater scheme of things. And it works a treat: some crisp clean air, an eyeful of the cinematic landscapes, and everyone are transfixed. 

It's the power of Icelandic nature to turn prosaic into the extraordinary. A dip in a pool becomes a soak in a geothermal lagoon; a casual stroll can transform into a trek across a glittering glacier; and a quiet night of camping may mean front-row seats to the aurora borealis’ curtains of light, or the soft, pinkish hue of the midnight sun. Iceland has a transformative effect on people too.

Dettifoss Falls offers something unique in Iceland: sightseeing in the largest waterfalls in Europe. Up to 500 cubic meters of water fall every second through this superb waterfall. Also interesting are the Goðafoss waterfalls, one of the best known in the country, whose name means "waterfall of the gods".

In the vicinity of Lake Myvatn you will find one of the most breathtaking landscapes in Iceland, created by volcanic eruptions. The craters of Skútustaðir, in the vicinity of the lake, were produced when the lava melted with the cold waters of the lake and caused explosions that damaged the ground. For its part, Dimmuborgir, also in the surroundings, is a huge expanse of whimsical lava formations. In ancient times, Icelanders thought that this was the gateway to Hell.

The warmth of Icelanders is disarming, as is their industriousness – they’ve worked hard to recover from financial upheaval, and to transform Iceland into a destination that, thanks to its popularity with visitors, can host more than six times its population each year. Pause and consider a medium-sized city in your country – then give it far-flung universities, airports, and hospitals to administer, 30-odd active volcanoes to monitor, and hundreds of hotels to run. How might they cope? Could they manage as well as the Icelanders – and still have time left over to create spine-tingling music and natty knitwear?