PRPG:
Krafla Toilet

Can You Solve the Mystery of the Krafla Toilet in Iceland?

February 24, 2014

Anaheim has Disneyland. South Dakota has Wall Drug. Þingeyjarsveit has a toilet.

Krafla ToiletYou may not have heard of this remote municipality in northeastern Iceland, but its home to one of the world’s most unusual tourist attractions. Those willing to make the trek will find the Krafla Toilet along a desolate stretch of highway that leads to the local Krafla power station. The toilet sits in the middle of a large patch of dirt beside a showerhead powered by a nearby hot spring. Nobody seems to know who installed this strange, open-air bathroom, or even how long ago, but more than a few confused visitors have stumbled upon it in recent years.

The toilet has mystified plenty of travel bloggers and several photos can be found on sites like Flickr, Tumblr, and Pinterest. Author Stephen Markley tried to find out who installed it while gathering material for his 2013 book, Tales of Iceland.

“Believe me, I spent a good day Googling ‘Krafla toilet,’ ‘Krafla commode,’ and other variations,” he wrote. “And while others had certainly witnessed and photographically documented the Krafla outdoor toilet, no one appeared to have an explanation for what its purpose might be.”

However, it’s listed as a place for hikers to get drinking water on the website for Vatnajökull National Park, which could offer a clue to its origins. Perhaps the toilet was placed there by a few bored park rangers. Of course, this doesn’t explain why they didn’t add some walls and a door. Perhaps some pranksters are the ones responsible.

That said, the toilet’s location is pretty isolated. A visitor could probably relieve themselves, or take a quick shower without anyone noticing, all while enjoying breathtaking views of the Icelandic countryside. On the average day, only 15 employees work up at the power station. Just be sure to bring some toilet paper if you’re headed that way.

If anyone out there knows more about the Krafla Toilet or where it came from, definitely let us know in the comments section. We’d love to learn more about it.