New playground at Hvaleyrarvatn
The new playground by Lake Hvaleyrarvatn was officially opened today, Thursday, and is now named Paradísarlundur. The opening was well attended, as the glorious summer weather welcomed guests of all ages to the lake today.
New playground at Hvaleyrarvatn
Come out and play in the countryside of Hafnarfjörður
At the beginning of the summer, work began on a new playground at the western end of Hvaleyrarvatn, near the barbecue area and new car parks which were completed last year. The playground, which features a castle and a large swing, has now been opened and is ready for use. The area by Hvaleyrarvatn is like something out of a fairytale, and the new playground is yet another addition to the existing paradise.
The project is part of the development in the area around Hvaleyrarvatn and Höfðaskógur. A naming competition for the playground was held in June and, from the 44 ideas submitted, the name Paradise Grove was chosen. The four proposals selected by the Environment and Operations Committee all related to the idea that Hvaleyrarvatn is like a paradise on earth: a natural gem that the whole family can enjoy all year round. The people behind the winning names received a splendid gift voucher for two to the Bæjarbíó cinema.
Paradise and a charming outdoor area in the countryside of Hafnarfjörður
Hvaleyrarvatn and its surroundings are one of the most beautiful places in the capital region. There are many walking trails in the area, and everyone is free to fish in the lake. Hvaleyrarvatn is an ideal outdoor recreational area; a walking path runs around the lake, in addition to other walking trails in the vicinity. Hvaleyrarvatn is situated just above Hafnarfjörður in a small hollow, surrounded on three sides by hills: Vatnshlíð, Húshöfði and Selhöfði. To the west of the lake is Selhraun, which blocks the outflow of water from the hollow. The Hvaler farmers had a summer farm here in earlier centuries, and ruins can be seen under Selhöfði which may be from the old farmstead. Legend has it that a water snake in the lake killed a girl at the farm, and so it was abandoned. In 1956, the Hafnarfjörður Forestry Association was given 32 hectares of land on Húshöfði, to the north-east of the lake, for afforestation. Since then, the association has greatly expanded its planting area and has done a great deal of good work there, as can be seen in their forest, Höfðaskógur.
See walking routes around Hvaleyrarvatn Hvaleyrarvatn | Hafnarfjörður (hafnarfjordur.is)