“In the Footsteps of a King” is a themed hiking/biking tour to historical trails in the county of Árnessýsla, south Iceland, organized by Icelandic Farm Holidays and various tour operators in the region inspired by the visit of Frederik VIII King of Denmark to Iceland in 1907.
The King by Gullfoss.
The visit of King Frederik was a significant event in Icelandic history, as it is considered an important link in Iceland’s battle towards independence.
Icelanders gave a warm welcome to the king, but at the same time expressed their demands for increased rights, a press release describes.
After being impressed with Icelandic nature and the royal welcome, the king was determined to give Iceland justice.
The king, along with his entourage of 200 chevaliers, traveled around the south for a week. A few hundred horses carried the men and luggage, tents, food and other supplies.
To prepare for the king’s arrival, roads were fixed and a new road was made from Reykjavík to Thingvellir and on to Geysir, and from Gullfoss to Hrunamannahreppur and on to Álfaskeid and Thjórsártún.
The Icelanders had expected the king to travel by carriage, but in the end he rather wanted to ride a horse himself. In the major road construction prior to his arrival, manual labor was the only tool available to pave the way through lava fields and bushes.
The cost of the “King’s Path” amounted to 14 percent of the annual costs of the state treasury.
For further information on the tour, visit Icelandic Farm Holidays’s website and email [email protected] for bookings.
ESA
