At the foot of Vatnajökull (Europe’s largest ice cap) lies Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, a place of haunting beauty. Here, icebergs broken off from a glacial tongue float in a lagoon, bobbing and shimmering in milky-blue water. Some ice chunks are pure white, others streaked with volcanic black ash, all slowly journeying toward the sea. The atmosphere is unearthly – think deep silence punctuated by creaking ice and the gentle lapping of water. On the shore, smaller bits of ice wash up on the black sand, glittering like diamonds (hence the nickname Diamond Beach for the adjacent coast). The air is crisp, often filled with arctic terns’ calls as they swoop over the lagoon. Whether in the golden light of midday or the pink hues of sunset, Jökulsárlón feels like nature’s cathedral – a place to be humble and awestruck.

You board an amphibious boat to glide among the icebergs (or simply stand at the shore – equally magical). As the boat’s engine stills in the middle of the lagoon, you find yourself surrounded by silent giants of ice. Time seems to slow. Reaching your hand into the icy water, you hold a piece of thousand-year-old ice, clear as glass. Björk’s voice comes to you on the breeze – “emotional landscapes, they puzzle me” – the famed line from “Jóga.” In this moment, you feel exactly that: an emotional landscape, impossible to fully understand, yet it floods you with feeling. The guide cuts the engine and for a minute, there is complete quiet. Suddenly, a loud crack echoes – a glacier in the distance calving fresh ice into the lagoon. The boom rolls across the water. Your heart jumps, but then you smile. It’s the same mix of fear and wonder Björk described as the sublime. Drifting in this icy dreamscape, you sense the profound bond between Björk and her homeland.

“Jóga,” one of Björk’s signature songs, was directly inspired by Iceland’s landscape – she intended it as a kind of modern Icelandic anthem: “very romantic, very proud, very patriotic. Mountains, glaciers, that kind of thing.”. The glaciers and their raw beauty moved her to channel love (for her best friend Jóga and her country) into music. Standing at Jökulsárlón, you understand the sublime she captured – the mix of beauty and terror when confronted with nature’s grandeur. You might also recall the music video for “Hidden Place,” which, while abstract, evokes finding a sacred, internal landscape – much like this hidden lagoon feels sacred and intimate. Before you leave, consider scribbling a postcard at the small cafe nearby, describing in your own words the electric-blue glow of the ice. It’s a scene so picturesque that no photo truly does it justice (though you’ll take dozens!).