Hot pot (thermal bath)
A hot pot (Icelandic heitur pottur), German hot pot , is a natural or artificial bathing opportunity in Iceland , which is usually fed by hot thermal water. Hot pots are an integral part of Icelandic bathing culture .
Natural hot pots
Due to the volcanic activity in Iceland, there are numerous hot springs all over the island. Where the hot water collected in small ponds or pools, these places were and are used for bathing since the colonization of Iceland. Particularly suitable or well-located bathing opportunities were partially developed as early as the Middle Ages, e.g. B. Moving facilities created, the inflow taken or seating built in the spring. The historically best known and most famous natural hot pot is the Snorralaug . The most popular natural hot pots for tourists are in Hveravellir .
Semi-natural hot pots
In the immediate vicinity of particularly popular hot springs, small outdoor pools have been built, some of which take advantage of the natural terrain. Such hot pots are usually larger than purely natural or purely artificial hot pots, and the water temperature is usually below 40 ° C.
Artificial hot pots
Starting from the natural hot pots, the need arose to have the opportunity to take a hot bath in the villages themselves. Due to the thermal energy available in many places, there are a total of 169 swimming pools in Iceland , of which 138 are geothermally heated (as of 2010). In addition to large pools, these swimming pools also have several small, mostly circular pools with seating and water temperatures of different levels, usually between 36 and 42 ° C. The construction is similar to a whirlpool , albeit without a whirlpool . These hot pots are usually located outdoors.
Private hot pots
Similar to Finland , where saunas can be found in most houses , most hotels in Iceland and many private houses have their own private hot pots, which are usually artificially created and, depending on the location, are fed by thermal water or artificially heated water.