Reykholt is a small village in Western Iceland, historically significant as the home and seat of power of Snorri Sturluson, the 13th-century chieftain, historian, and poet whose written works became the foundation of Norse mythology as the world knows it today. Visitors to Reykholt today can explore the Snorrastofa cultural center dedicated to Sturluson's life and legacy, as well as Snorralaug, a circular geothermal pool believed to date to Sturluson's era and considered one of Iceland's oldest man-made structures still visible above ground. The village sits in the Borgarfjörður region of Western Iceland, roughly 115 kilometers northeast of Reykjavík, set against a volcanic landscape that Gates describes on camera as "a brutal land exactly like the one the Vikings first saw when they arrived here from Scandinavia 1,200 years ago." Gates traveled here for the Season 4 premiere of Expedition Unknown to investigate how Iceland — and specifically Reykholt — transformed the Vikings from a military force into a lasting cultural phenomenon, largely through the written legacy of one man.
Norse settlers, arriving from Scandinavia, begin colonizing Iceland, according to archaeologist Gudmundur Olafsson as quoted on Expedition Unknown
Snorri Sturluson is born; he would later make Reykholt his primary residence and seat of political power
Sturluson compiles the Prose Edda at Reykholt, preserving oral Norse mythological traditions — including stories of Odin, Thor, and Freyja — in written form
Snorri Sturluson is assassinated at Reykholt, ending his tenure as Iceland's most influential literary and political figure
Gates investigates Reykholt in Expedition Unknown Season 4, Episode 1, "Viking Secrets"
Archaeologist Kevin Smith and Icelandic archaeologist Gudmundur Olafsson guided Gates through Reykholt's significance, with Olafsson emphasizing the settlement timeline: Norse migrants from Scandinavia arrived in Iceland around 870 AD, drawn by the availability of unoccupied land. As Olafsson told Gates, Iceland's volcanic landscape — harsh as it was — offered Viking settlers room to farm, expand, and develop skills, including literacy, that they had not fully cultivated in their homeland.
The mainstream historical consensus holds that Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, composed at Reykholt in the 13th century, is the single most important surviving source for Norse mythology. Without it, much of what we know about Odin, Thor, Freyja, Loki, and the cosmology of Ragnarok would likely have been lost entirely, surviving only in fragmentary oral tradition. Sturluson was not merely a scribe — he was a powerful chieftain and political operator, and Reykholt served as his fortified estate. His assassination there in 1241 cut short a career that had already reshaped Scandinavian literary culture.
Scholars continue to debate how faithfully Sturluson's written Prose Edda reflects the pre-Christian oral traditions he was documenting versus how much he shaped, edited, or Christianized those myths through his own medieval lens. Sturluson was writing roughly two centuries after Iceland's conversion to Christianity, which inevitably colors his presentation of pagan belief. This interpretive gap is a live question in Old Norse studies, though it doesn't diminish the Prose Edda's importance — it simply means readers must engage it critically.
Gates' Expedition Unknown episode framed Reykholt not as a site of excavation or artifact recovery, but as an intellectual origin point — the place where Viking cultural identity was essentially written into permanence. The episode explored how a single scholar in a remote Icelandic village produced the texts that would eventually feed centuries of literature, and more recently, blockbuster films and prestige television. It's a rare episode where the "discovery" is an idea rather than an object, and Gates presents it with genuine enthusiasm rather than manufactured suspense.
Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda is the primary written source for Norse myths about Odin, Thor, Freyja, and Ragnarok — gods and stories that continue to drive blockbuster films and bestselling novels centuries after his death.
According to Gudmundur Olafsson on camera, Norse settlers arrived in Iceland around 870 AD, drawn partly by the simple fact that the island was unoccupied — prime real estate by Viking standards.
Reykholt's ancient geothermal pool, Snorralaug, is believed to date to Sturluson's era in the 13th century and is considered one of Iceland's oldest surviving man-made structures.
Snorri Sturluson was not just a writer — he was a powerful local chieftain who was assassinated at Reykholt in 1241, a violent end that underscores how politically charged medieval Icelandic society really was.
Reykholt is generally accessible to visitors and is home to Snorrastofa, a research center and museum dedicated to Snorri Sturluson that offers exhibits on his life, the Prose Edda, and medieval Icelandic history. The ancient geothermal pool Snorralaug, believed to date to Sturluson's time, is viewable on site. Travelers should check current seasonal hours for Snorrastofa before visiting, as opening times may vary.
Reykjavík, approximately 115 kilometers to the southwest.
Summer months (June through August) offer the most reliable road access and longest daylight hours for exploring the Borgarfjörður region. Winter visits are possible but Icelandic weather can be severe and unpredictable — check local advisories before traveling.
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is the origin point of the Viking settlers who arrived in Iceland around 870 AD — the direct cultural and geographical root of everything Gates investigates at Reykholt.
Scotland
Scotland was another destination of Viking expansion and cultural influence, connecting thematically to the episode's broader exploration of how Norse civilization spread across the North Atlantic.
La Garma Cave
La Garma Cave represents another Expedition Unknown investigation into how ancient peoples preserved cultural knowledge and identity across generations, paralleling Sturluson's mission of writing down oral tradition before it was lost.
Historical data sourced from Wikipedia