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The village Kirkjubæjarklaustur (160 inhabitants) is situated in the south of Iceland at the hringvegur (road no. 1) between Vík í Mýrdal and Höfn.
The village is historically very interesting. Even before the times of first settlement in Iceland, Irish monks are said to have lived here. Since 1186, a well known monastery of benedictine nuns has been here for about 400 years till the reformation. The names of a waterfall (Systrafoss which means the waterfall of the sisters i.e. nuns) and of the lake Systravatn on the highland above the village are referring to this monastery. Folk tales are illustrating the history with stories about good and sinful nuns as well as a treasure in the lake.
Today, the village is an important service center for the farms in the region as well as for the tourists and weekend visitors. A lot of people from Reykjavík have their weekend huts on a nearby lake.
The village is prospering because of its position. From there, some touristical high-lights are not too far away like the Laki craters, the Eldgjá and Skaftafell National Park.
Very near to the village, there is Kirkjugólf, the so-called church pavement of basalt. There are basalt columns in the earth, but only the top can be seen.
See also: List of cities in Iceland, History of Iceland