There are ideas to better map the man-made caves at Hella and use the information to strengthen their position as a tourist destination. There are theories that it was densely populated in ancient times, even before the supposed settlement of the Norse people.
Árni Freyr Magnússon, one of the representatives of Hellanna vid Hella, says that inquiries have increased from abroad after the number of tourists began to increase again. "We have been receiving more inquiries both from abroad and from Icelanders. We started offering tours in January 2020, just before the corona virus outbreak, and therefore there were few foreign tourists last year, but most of our guests have been Icelanders and we were able to welcome them last summer," says Árni Freyr.
At the town gates of Hella
The caves at Hella are man-made caves at the town of Ægissíðu, a stone's throw from the bridge over Ytri-Rangá at Hella. The company is branded with its English name, Caves of Hella, and has a main road reception. Four caves are now on display. Two of them are interconnected by tunnels. The third cave is much smaller and is still used as storage. The fourth cave is by the old town square on Ægissíða 1 and in it you can find a large cross, according to Árna Frey, and a wall grid.
The caves are primarily marketed on social media.
"We also have a good partnership with the hotels in the local community of Hella, and it helps a lot to get guests through them. We are seeing an increase in the number of foreign tourists at the hotels. Many people have told us that the prelude is to get the word out among foreign tourists that the place is popular with locals. So we hope for the best," says Árni Freyr.
He says the guests are divided into two groups. "On the one hand, people come to us who plan to come and know about us and want to get to know this story. Then there are the people who are staying at Hella and realize that there is entertainment there and want to come. These visitors are my favorites because the caves often surprise them so pleasantly. Or as one tourist put it: "We knew we were going to see something underground but not that there was such an interesting story behind it."
Story was published at Business section of Morgunblaðið
Comments