Reykjavik is an extremely
easy city to negotiate on foot so the best initial advice is to
head for the Tourist Information Centre and stock
up on some maps and recommended walking routes. Reykjavik has 2
landmarks that offer views over the city to aid orientation, the
Perlan (on Öskjuhlíd Hill) and the
75 metre high (230 feet) Hallgrímskirkja church
(in the centre of town). A visit to the top of either of these is
the recommended way for visitors to become acquainted with the city’s
layout.
The very heart of Reykjavik lies between the Atlantic Ocean and
the enjoyable Tjörnin lake to the north. In between lies the
centre of the city with flat, wide streets housing bars, hotels,
cafés, museums and art galleries. The National Museum
lies just to the south of the lake, whilst the modern Icelandic
National Gallery lies right on the edge.
Tjörnin
is Austurvollur, a striking square popular with sun worshippers
in the warmer months and also home to the Alping, the Icelandic
parliament. Also in the city centre are the 3 branches of the Reykjavik
Art Museum, the Harbour House, Ásmundur Sveinsson Sculpture
Museum and Kjarvalsstadethir.
Heading east and uphill on Laugavegur, the city’s
main thoroughfare, are several of the city’s best shops, cafés,
restaurants and bars. Outside the city centre but easily reachable
by bus are the Árbaer Open Air Folk Museum and the Sigurjon
Olafsson Museum. Dotted around the city are 6 geothermal swimming
baths that come complete with hot pots, which make the perfect venue
to relax in after a hard day’s sightseeing at any time of
year.
Árbæjarsafn
(Árbær Open-Air Folk Museum)
Árbæjarsafn
is Reykjavík's folk museum, and the biggest
open air museum in Iceland. It includes about 30
buildings, most of them brought to the museum site from downtown
Reykjavík. They date from the period 1820 to 1920. In the
houses, reconstructions of homes and workshops and special exhibitions
can be seen. Events are programmed every Sunday,
with live accordion music. Craftspeople demonstrate customary tasks
almost every day in the museum. Milking takes place at 4.30 pm every
day and is always a popular event with children. There are also
children's horse rides on Saturdays.
Address: Árbæjarsafn v/Kistuhyl
Telephone: 577 1111.
Email address: abs@abs.rvk.is
Website address: www.arbaejarsafn.is
Transport: Bus 110 and 4 from Lækjartorg and bus 10 from Hlemmur.
Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday 10.00 am to 5.00 pm, Mondays 11.00
am to 4.00 pm, Saturdays and Sundays 10.00 am to 6.00 pm (June,
July and Aug).
Outside the summer season, guided tours of the museum are scheduled
on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 1.00 pm. Guided tours for
groups are by arrangement.
Admission: IKr 500, concessions available.
Hafnarfjördur
(Harbour-fjord)
Hafnarfjördur has long been know as the ‘Town in the
Lava’, due to its location right on top of the Burfell
lava >formation, which dates back to an eruption 7,000
years ago. Nestled in the arc of a natural harbour, it has become
a suburb of Reykjavik. In previous centuries, it gained status as
a trading centre and, today, its reputation is as a centre for culture.
Highlights include a sculpture garden
on Vidistadir, a lighthouse and an archaeological site from pre-Lutheran
times. It is also home to the Icelandic Maritime Museum, the Museum
of Local History and the Museum of Postal and Telecommunications.
The town also has two geothermally heated pools and the Keilier
Golf Club.
Hafnarfjördur
Tourist Information Office
Address: Vesturgata 8, Hafnarfjördur
Telephone: 565 0661.
Facsimile: 565 2914.
Email address: tourist-info@hafnarfjordur.is
or hafnarfjordur@lava.is
Transport: Bus 140.
Summer opening hours: Monday to Friday 9.00 am to 6.00 pm, Saturday
to Sunday 10.00 am to 4.00 pm.
Winter opening hours: Monday to Friday only 1.00 pm to 4.00 pm.
Heiti Potturinn (Hot Pots)
Geothermal swimming pools and hot
pots play a huge part in Icelandic life as swimming lessons
are mandatory and students cannot graduate without passing a swimming
test. The hottest pools have controlled temperatures of up to 44
°C (108 °F) and are said to have positive medical benefits.
As the pools are not heavily chlorinated, it is essential to take
a nude shower and wash thoroughly before entering. The largest
is Laugardalslaug, which has a 50 metre (150 feet) pool, curved
waterslide, 5 hot pots of differing temperatures and a steam bath.
Several locals pop in between 8.00 am and 9.00 am to relax before
work and catch up on the gossip, making it a good time for curious
visitors to join in.
Address: Laugardalur, Sundlaugavegur
Telephone: 553 4039.
Facsimile: 581 1555.
Transport: Bus 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12 or 15.
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 6.50 am to 10.00 pm, Saturdays and
Sundays 8.00 am to 8.00 pm.
Admission: IKr 230.
Listasafn
Íslands (National Gallery of Iceland)
Iceland’s National Gallery houses a permanent
collection of sculpture and paintings by Icelandic
and international artists from the 19th and 20th centuries, as well
as temporary exhibitions of Icelandic art. Housed in a modernist
building that was originally built for ice storage, it comprises
4 exhibition rooms, lecture hall, a café, art library and
bookshop.
Fríkirkjuvegur 7
Telephone: 515 9600.
Facsimile: 562 1312.
Email address: list@natgall.is
Website address: www.listasafn.is
Transport: Bus 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 110, 111, 112 or 115.
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 11.00 am to 5.00 pm (the library
has shorter hours).
Admission: IKr 400, free on Wednesdays, concessions available.
Listasafn Reykjavikur (Reykjavik
Art Museum)
Known collectively as the Reykjavik Art Museum and housed in 3
locations around the city (Harbour House (Hafnarhúsid),
Ásmundur Sveinsson Sculpture Museum and the Kjarval Collection)
the museum offers up a wealth of Icelandic culture.
The Harbour House lays claim to the Erró Collection, the
Reykjavik Art Collection and the Architectural Museum.
Situated near the harbour, the Harbour House also
boasts 6 exhibition halls, a multi purpose space, an outdoor courtyard,
café and bookshop. It houses changing exhibitions of work
by modern Icelandic and international artists in varied media. Dedicated
to the drawings and sculptures of Ásmundur Sveinsson, the
Ásmundur Sveinsson Sculpture Museum collection is housed
in the artist’s former home and studio. The Kjarvalsstadethir
gallery houses works by leading Icelandic and international
artists of the 20th century. The gallery has a shop and a cafeteria
overlooking the Miklatún Park and the Perlan.
Harbour House
Address: Tryggvagötu 17
Telephone: 590 1200.
Facsimile: 590 1201.
Transport: Bus 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 110, 111, 112, 115, 140 or 150
stop by Laekjarbor (a 5 minute walk from the museum).
Opening hours: Daily from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm.
Ásmundur
Sveinsson Sculpture Museum
Address: Sigtún
Telephone: 553 2155.
Transport: Bus 2 and 5.
Opening hours: Daily 10.00 am to 4.00 pm (May to September), daily
1.00 pm to 4.00 pm (October to April).
Kjarvalsstadethir
Address: Flókagata
Telephone: 552 6131.
Transport: Bus 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 15, 140 and 150 stop by
Hlemmur (a 5 minute walk from the museum).
Opening hours: Daily 10.00 am to 5.00 pm.
Website: www.listasafnreykjavikur.is
Admission: IKr 500 (daily ticket to all 3 museums), free Mondays.
Concessions available.
Passes
Available for 1 (IKr 1,200), 2
(IKr 1,700), or 3 (IKr 2,200) days, the Reykjavik
Card offers unlimited transport on city buses, as well as admission
to 6 geothermal swimming pools and most museums and galleries. It
can be purchased from the Tourist Information Centre, the City Hall,
the BSÍ central bus station, guesthouses,hotels, museums
and pools.
Hallgrímskirkja
(Church of Hallgrímur)
Reykjavik’s highest and most imposing
structure, Hallgrímskirkja, is visible from over 20 kilometres
(12 miles) away. Begun in the late 1940's and completed in 1986,
with its stark, light filled interior and architectural resemblance
to basaltic lava, it attracts mixed reactions. The majority of people
visit for the chance to view the city from the tower, the panorama
is superb.
Skólavörduholt
Telephone: 510 1000.
Facsimile: 510 1010.
Website address: www.hallgrimskirkja.is
(Icelandic only)
Transport: Bus 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 110, 111, 112 or 115.
Opening hours: Daily 9.00 am to 8.00 pm (10.00 pm on Thursdays in
the summer).
Admission: Free (church), IKr 350, concessions available (tower).
Perlan (Pearl)
A walk through landscaped gardens (including an
artificial geyser) leads to the top of Öskjuhlíd Hill
and Reykjavik’s architectural masterpiece,
the Pearl. This fantastic glass structure, which houses a revolving
restaurant perched atop hot water tanks, is an engineering feat.
The 4th level has an outside viewing deck offering
views of the city, as it sprawls out below.
Öskjuhlíd
Hill
Telephone: 562 0203 or 562 0200 (restaurant).
Facsimile: 562 0207 (restaurant).
Website address: www.perlan.is
Transport: Bus 7 from Laekjartorg.
Opening hours: Daily 10.00 am to 10.00 pm (restaurant until 11.00
pm).
Admission: Free.
The ground floor is the Saga Museum, a vibrant
multi dimensional display representing key moments in Icelandic
history, and giving a compelling insight into how Icelanders lived
from the settlement of the island at the end of the 9th century
through to the Reformation period. The dioramas use eerily realistic
silicone rubber figures, whose features were borrowed
from Reykjavik residents, therefore you may recognise a familiar
face on the streets of the capital after your visit to the museum!
Saga Museum
Telephone: 511 1517 or 694 3096 or 897 2410.
Email address: agusta@backman.is
Website address: www.sagamuseum.is
Opening hours: Daily from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm.
Admission: IKr 800, concessions available.
Thjódminjasafn
Íslands (National Museum)
Founded in 1863, the National Museum, which has just reopened its
doors, has a large range of relics and tools spanning Reykjavik’s
11 centuries of history. It houses everything from medieval
altar cloths through to its star attraction, a 12th century door
depicting a Norse battle scene. The museum covers all features of
Icelandic life, from the time of the settlements to the present
day. Featured at the museum are archaeological finds buried in the
eruption at Mount Hekla in 1106, the 1st bible printed in Icelandic,
a history of Icelandic witchcraft, and items such as the census
of 1703, with detailed accounts of not just people but livestock
across Iceland.
Address: Sudurgata 41
Telephone: 530 2200.
Facsimile: 530 2201.
Website address: www.natmus.is
Transport: Bus 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 14, 110 or 112.
Summer opening hours: Daily 10.00 am to 6.00 pm (summer),
Winter opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 11.00 am to 5.00 pm. Closed
Mondays.
Admission: IKr 600, concessions available, free on Wednesdays.
Tourist Information
Tourist Information Centre
Address: Adalstraeti 2
Telephone: 562 3045.
Facsimile: 562 3057.
Email address: info@visitreykjavik.is
or tourinfo@tourinfo.is
Website address: www.tourist.reykjavik.is
Summer opening hours: Daily from 8.30 am to 7.00 pm
Winter opening hours: Monday to Friday from 9.00 am to 6.00 pm,
Saturday and Sunday 10.00 am to 2.00 pm.
Information is also available from the City Hall Information Service,
City Hall, Vonarstraeti. Reykjavik
Complete (telephone: 590 1500, facsimile: 590 1501), which runs
the Tourist Information Centre, can also provide information.
Sigurjon Olafsson Museum
The idiosyncratic Sigurjon Olafsson Museum is devoted to the life’s
work of a single artist, Sigurjon Olafsson (1908
to 1982), who was born and lived in Iceland. The sleek wooden floors
and starched white walls are the perfect setting for his avant
garde work. Olafsson used a collage of metal, wood, plaster,
stone and concrete in his work and his striking forms combined abstract
styles with inspiration from the Icelandic Sagas. The museum is
not one that several tourists go to or even know about but is much
beloved of the locals and well worth a visit. During summer there
are concerts in the museum on Tuesday evenings
and there is also a café with stunning views
over the ocean.
Address: Laugarnestangi 70
Telephone: 553 2906.
Facsimile: 581 4553.
Website address: www.lso.is
Transport: Bus 4 or 5.
Summer opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 2.00 pm to 5.00 pm
Winter opening hours: Saturday and Sunday only 2.00 pm to 5.00 pm.
Closed December and January.
Admission: Free. |
