Hekla (Icelandic pronunciation:[ˈhɛʰkla]), or Hecla, is a stratovolcano in the south of Iceland with a height of 1,491 metres (4,892ft). Hekla is one of Iceland's most active volcanoes; over 20 eruptions have occurred in and around the volcano since 874. During the Middle Ages, Europeans called the volcano the "Gateway to Hell".