Astjorn and Asfjall, Hafnarfjordur

Ástjörn and Ásfjall were protected as a country park in 1996. The country park surrounds the protected area Ástjörn. The pond and the area around it were protected in 1978. The view from the mountain is especially good and particularly interesting for those interested in the geology and history of the Greater Reykjavík Area. There are relics of the occupation earlier in the century in Ásfjall.

Ástjörn is a unique natural phenomenon that has no comparison in the immediate vicinity of the near continuous urban sprawl of the Greater Reykjavík Area. The pond and the area around are characterised by very rich flora and fauna. For example, the only horned grebe nesting area in the Southwest is found there. The population of the species has decreased significantly from what it was in the first half of the 20^th century, and the horned grebe is a wholly protected species and is on the endangered list. There is a lot of animalcule life in the pond, although it has not been studied much.

The country park covers an area of 56.9 ha.