About 5km south of Stykkishólmur, the holy mountain Helgafell (73m) was once venerated by worshippers of the god Þór. Although quite small, the mountain was so sacred in Saga times that elderly Icelanders would seek it out near the time of their death. Today locals believe that wishes are granted to those who climb the mount.
In the late 10th century, Snorri Goði, a prominent Þor worshipper, converted to Christianity and built a church at the top of the hill; its ruins still remain. The nearby farm of the same name was where the conniving Guðrun ÓsvÃfursdóttir of Laxdæla Saga lived out her later years in isolation. Her grave marks the base of the mount.
