Systrafoss in Kirkjubæjarklaustur

Two falls from Systravatn

The water of Systrafoss comes from Systravatn on the plateau above Kirkjubæjarklaustur. As it crosses the cliff edge, fractures and ledges in the basalt separate the flow into two neighbouring falls. When water levels are favourable they read clearly as a pair; when the flow is low, much of that visual balance disappears.

This variability is not a flaw in the destination but part of its character. Systrafoss responds quickly to the conditions that feed it, and repeat visits can give very different impressions. The cliff remains imposing even when the water is modest, but the full relationship between its two streams is strongest after wet weather or during periods of meltwater.

Woodland between village and cliff

Systrafosslundur lies beneath the falls. The woodland was planted during the 20th century and has grown into a sheltered area of paths and mature trees at the edge of the village. In a region dominated by open lava fields, sandur and exposed slopes, the trees create an unusually intimate transition between settlement and waterfall.

The woodland matters more to the experience of approaching Systrafoss than it necessarily does to the classic view of the falls. It softens the base of the cliff and creates a place to walk, while the paired watercourses remain the main visual subject above. Together, trees, cliff and village make Systrafoss feel embedded in Kirkjubæjarklaustur rather than separated from it.

The sisters in the landscape

The name Systrafoss means “Sisters’ Waterfall” and belongs to a group of local names associated with the Benedictine convent that stood at Kirkjubær in the Middle Ages. Systravatn, Systrafjall and Systrastapi preserve the same connection. The names have carried the memory of the convent into the modern landscape even though the institution itself is long gone.

Systravatn is also connected with a local legend. According to tradition, two nuns entered the lake and saw a hand rising from the water with a gold ring. When they reached for it, they were pulled beneath the surface. This is folklore, not documented history, but it shows how the natural features above the village became woven into stories about the sisters.

The distinction matters. The convent belongs to the recorded history of Kirkjubær; the story of the ring belongs to tradition. Both help explain why the lake, waterfall, mountain and nearby landmark share the same family of names.

From a short visit to a longer walk

The lower waterfall and woodland can be experienced easily from Kirkjubæjarklaustur. Visitors do not need to climb above the cliff to understand the essential character of the site, and the lower area works well as a short walk from the village.

Routes continue uphill toward Systravatn and into the wider walking network around Kirkjubæjarklaustur. The ascent gains height quickly and should be treated as a separate walk rather than an automatic extension of a brief waterfall stop. For those with more time, it connects the visible falls with their source and opens a broader understanding of the plateau above the village.

• • Systrafoss consists of two streams falling side by side from the plateau above Kirkjubæjarklaustur.
  • The falls are fed by Systravatn.
  • Systrafosslundur is a planted woodland at the base of the cliff.
  • The name Systrafoss means “Sisters’ Waterfall.”
  • Systrafoss, Systravatn, Systrafjall and Systrastapi are associated by name with the medieval convent at Kirkjubær.
  • The story of two nuns and a gold ring in Systravatn is a local legend rather than documented history.
  • The appearance of the falls varies greatly with rainfall and snowmelt.