Hella, Iceland
Hella is a small town in southern Iceland on the shores of the river Ytri-Rangá and has, as of 2021, 942 inhabitants.
Hella is situated east of Reykjavík on the Hringvegur between Selfoss and Hvolsvöllur.
Overview
The name of the town comes from caves near the river. It is said that Irish monks lived there in the times of first settlement. There are small industries as well as shops. As in other regions of the country, tourism is a growing sector. The volcano Hekla is roughly 40km away and Eyjafjallajökull is about 45km, in the summer buses have to Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk from HellaHella was founded 1927 by Þorsteinn Björnsson who built a general store and a slaughterhouse by the old bridge crossing Ytri-Rangá in the land of Helluvað. It was meant to service the surrounding countryside and was well received.
The village of Hella celebrated its founder by placing a memorial by the Rangá River in 1977, marking 50 years since its founding.