Situated on the Atlantic rift which crosses Iceland, Thingvellir is a site of formidable tectonic activity, as demonstrated by the long, wide parallel fissures which mark the landscape and lead to Lake Fingvallavatn fed by the Langjökull glacier. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004, Thingvellir boasts historic interest as well as natural beauty - it was here, on the banks of the country's largest lake, that the first settlers established the Althing, the ancestor of all democratic parliaments.