07/29/2020 | 12:00 PM

Ballooning over South Iceland

If you were lucky enough to be in South Iceland in early July, you might have seen an unexpected sight: a candy-striped hot-air balloon gliding photogenically above the countryside.

The balloon was brought to Iceland by German company H2 Ballooning, with support from Icelandair Cargo, to participate in the annual ‘Allt sem flýgur' (Everything that flies) flight festival. This annual summer event is organized by the Icelandic Aeronautical Association and held in the town of Hella in South Iceland.

The balloon’s pilot, Dominik Haggeney, has 33 years of piloting experience, and he took delighted passengers on tours that ranged from river crossings to midnight sun viewing, with views over peaks including Hekla, Tindfjöll and Eyjafjallajökull.

All photos by Matthías Sveinbjörnsson.

a red and white striped hot air balloon flying over the leafy green Icelandic landscape next to a body of water

a red and white striped hot air balloon floating above a lush green landscape in Iceland

a red and white striped hot air balloon flying over a body of water in South Iceland

a red and white hot air balloon pictured flying over the South Iceland landscape at golden hour

Bird's-eye views

a view from within the hot air balloon looking out over the clouds and fertile land beneath

an aerial view of the landscape from the hot air balloon, with views from above the clouds and beneath to the land below

a view from within the basket, with a partial view of the basket and views looking down to the farmers fields below