Warm yourself up by the long fire in the reconstructed longhouse in Eiríksstaðir and listen to a storyteller in Viking clothing tell about the inhabitants. The place can be called the „cradle of new worlds“ because it was here that Eirik The Red built a farm and started a family with his wife Þjóðhildur. Eirik was later the first Norseman to settle in Greenland, and Leif the Lucky, his and Þjóðhildur’s son, was the first European to explore North America around the year 1000.

Archaeological research revealed a Viking longhouse from the 10th century at this location and confirmed the residence of Eirik and his family in the valley. It is interesting to see the ancient ruins of Eiríksstadir. The reconstruction of the longhouse shows a traditional building from this period where you can experience the Viking era in a personal way. There you can also view handicrafts, weapons, and various items typical for the 10^th century Iceland.

There are good informative signs about the sailing routes of the Vikings and the voyagers Eirik the Red and Leif the Lucky by the parking lot.

Ten ideas for recreation in Dalir and it’s surroundings:

1. Visit the Leif Eiriksson center in Búðardalur to learn more about Leif the Lucky’s discovery of America (Vínland).
2. Take a dip in Guðrúnarlaug (hot tub) in the peaceful surroundings of Laugar in Sælingsdalur.
3. When you travel around the „Golden History Circle“ in Dalir, you can see the places where the settlers Auður the Deep Minded and Geirmundur Heljarskinn lived (9th century). Also the storyteller and writer Sturla Þórðarson (13th century).
4. If you still have an appetite for Saga legends, visit the Settlement Centre in Borgarnes and learn all about Viking and poet Egill Skallagrímsson.
5. The peaceful rural setting of Dalir is ideal for longer and shorter walks.
6. Taste local dairy products, cheeses, skyr and ice cream, and visit Creamery Erpsstaðir for a peek into a modern Icelandic dairy farm.
7. Get a fishing license to catch trout in Haukadalsvatn.
8. Pet some cute domestic animals and get a live guidance at the Hólar petting zoo.
9. Take a look at Ólafsdalur in Gilsfjörður, a historical place where the first agrucultural school in Iceland was founded in 1880 and where a settlement longhouse was discovered in 2017.
10. If you head north, you should drop by Reykhólar in the southern Westfjords and have a healing seaweed bath.

For more information and ideas go to www.west.is