Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Grotte de Glace
Sinquerim Beach Bastion
Port Tobacco Schoolhouse
Barracks / munitions storage.
Vloethemveld
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è Pasta... E Pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The 2,653-mile-long Pacific Crest Trail spans the entire West Coast from Canada to Mexico.
Meet the Volunteers Who Keep Thru-Hikers Moving
The Haskell Free Library and Opera House building on the U.S.-Canadian border.
Could New Border Restrictions Literally Tear the Haskell Free Library Apart?
A woman peering into the cave of Sarah Bishop c. 1900.
The Curious History of New England’s Hermit Tourism
The Big Well
This Kansas Town Advertised the World’s Largest Well. It Wasn’t.

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Iceland Keldur Hall

Keldur Hall

The oldest hall in Iceland was written of in the Sagas and features a centuries-old escape tunnel.

Iceland

Added By
Eric Grundhauser
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The nearby turf houses of Keldur.   logjayge on Flickr
The exit to the escape tunnel.   Jósep Jósepsson on Flickr
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The Keldur farm estate in southern Iceland features a number of crude sod structures that are found nowhere else in the region, but the most remarkable is likely the public hall which features a number of rooms and even a hidden escape tunnel built into the hill.

Consisting of over 20 turf structures that are still standing, the Keldur farm has existed for almost a thousand years. The location is featured prominently in the historic Njal's Saga, which states that the location was founded in the year 1,000 CE, although current estimates place the settlement as much older. Keldur Hall is believed to have been built during the 11th-century, however, which would make it the oldest hall of its kind in all of Iceland. The hall was likely inhabited by Jon Loftsson, a strongly religious chieftain from the 12th century.

The site has been added to, preserved, and generally cared for over its centuries of existence, but it was not until 1932 that the most remarkable feature was discovered. Set into the floor, where it is said that it would have been beneath a throne of some sort, is the entrance to a skinny escape tunnel. The crude emergency tunnel leads down and into the hill behind the hall, allowing one to flee to the opposite base of the hill. The opening is quite small, so it is unknown how effective it would have been.

Keldur Hall and the surrounding farm are now under the purview of the National Museum of Iceland, and visitors can check out the escape hole, but it is grated over, so a quick getaway might be a bit more challenging.

Related Tags

Architectural Oddities Architecture
Atlas Obscura Adventures

Iceland in Summer: Journey through the South Coast & the Westman Islands

Explore Iceland's Myths, Wonders, & Landscapes.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

EricGrundhauser

Edited By

Blindcolour, aribrown

  • Blindcolour
  • aribrown

Published

March 18, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://stuckiniceland.com/south/the-medieval-seat-of-power/
  • http://www.njala.is/en/njals-saga/surrounding-sites/
  • http://www.planiceland.com/keldur-in-rangarvellir/
  • http://www.enjoyiceland.is/Places/South_East/Attractions/Historical_sites/39/default.aspx
  • http://nat.is/Museums/keldur_old_sod_farm.htm
Keldur Hall
Iceland
63.816667, -20.083333
Visit Website

Nearby Places

Gljúfrabúi

Hamragarðar, Iceland

miles away

South Iceland's Bra Fence

Hvolsvöllur, Iceland

miles away

Seljavallalaug

Skogar, Iceland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Iceland

Iceland

Europe

Places 149
Stories 41

Nearby Places

Gljúfrabúi

Hamragarðar, Iceland

miles away

South Iceland's Bra Fence

Hvolsvöllur, Iceland

miles away

Seljavallalaug

Skogar, Iceland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Iceland

Iceland

Europe

Places 149
Stories 41

Related Places

  • Rosalie Sharp Centre for Design in the iconic Toronto cityscape.

    Toronto, Ontario

    Rosalie Sharp Centre for Design

    This buzzy, award-winning building hovers 85 feet above the ground on a dozen colorful stilts.

    Sponsored by Destination Toronto
  • West Virginia’s New River Gorge Bridge is the longest steel bridge in the Western Hemisphere.

    Lansing, West Virginia

    Bridge Walk

    In West Virginia, you can walk across the longest single-arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere.

    Sponsored by West Virginia Department of Tourism
  • The Cathedral Café has been serving it’s community for more than 120 years.

    Fayetteville, West Virginia

    Cathedral Café

    Soak in the sacred vibes at this beloved food and coffee hangout inside a former church.

    Sponsored by West Virginia Department of Tourism
  • Petrópolis, Brazil

    Belvedere do Grinfo

    This spaceship-like structure was once a popular roadside restaurant.

  • Créteil, France

    Choux de Créteil

    A cluster of cylindrical apartment buildings nod to the city’s vegital past.

  • Jaraba, Spain

    Santuario de la Virgen de Jaraba

    A medieval shrine set into a towering canyon wall.

  • Tokyo, Japan

    Tsukiji Hongan-ji Temple

    A grand Buddhist temple with Indian influences.

  • What appears to be an ancient Greek ruin is, in fact, a colossal mess.

    Edinburgh, Scotland

    National Monument of Scotland

    A never-finished memorial to the heroes of the Napoleonic War has become "Scotland's Folly."

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.