Imagine what it was like waking up in the middle of the night to a volcanic eruption in your town! Eldheimar, a volcano museum of remembrance in Westman-Islands, traces the story of the 1973 eruption with a powerful and moving interactive exhibition.  Almost all the inhabitants of Heimaey, over 5.000 people,  had to leave their homes in the middle of the night in January and evacuate the island, many of them never saw their homes or any of their belongings ever again. Lava and ash destroyed almost 400 homes and businesses, a third of all buildings on Heimaey. While the eruption lasted no one knew if the island would ever be populated. Now 40 years later Eldheimar open up, a museum of remembrance, giving visitors the chance to go back in time and learn about this dramatic event.  The exhibition’s centrepiece is a house that was buried in ash and has now been excavated.

Eldheimar also covers the Surtsey eruption, the island that emerged from the ocean south of Heimaey in 1963.  The Surtsey eruption lasted for almost 4 years and ever since only scientists have been allowed on the island in order to monitor how new ecosystems come to life.Surtsey was inscribed as a natural property on UNESCO’s World Heritage List during the 32nd session of The World Heritage Committee in July 2008.

Good souvenir shop is in Eldheimar.

Ten ideas for recreation in Westman-Islands and nearby in South Iceland (mainland):

1. Hike the hills and mountains of Heimaey with a splendid view of the mainland and smaller islands, including Heimaklettur, Helgafell and Eldfell, created in the eruption in 1973 (the ground is still warm in places!)
2. Go on a sailing tour from Heimaey and see the famous “elephant rock” , a striking rock formation that looks like an elephant with its trunk in the sea, puffins and other sea birds .
3. „Sprangan“ (the swing rope) is the ,,national” sport of Westman Islands. It´s where people trained to get stronger before going out to the smaller islands. Try it out!
4. The islands are perfect for kayaking, cycling, golf, swimming from cliffs… you name it!
5. For food lovers, rest assured that your taste buds will be satisfied after your visit to Westman Islands. The islands’ have excellent restaurants – and a brewery.
6. Back on the mainland, “collect” the waterfalls in South Iceland, including Skógafoss, Seljalandsfoss, Gljúfrabúi, Hjálparfoss, Háifoss og Gullfoss.
7. Explore the historical sites from Njáls saga and visit the old turf-farmhouse at Keldur.
8. Join a guided glacier hiking tour on Sólheimajökull and a snowmobile tour on Mýrdalsjökull glacier.
9. Visit the famous Black Beach (Reynisfjara), it´s stunning panoramas and beautiful basalt stacks. But take care, the Atlantic waves can be very dangerous!
10. Discover all the geological gems in the realm of Katla Geopark and visit the Katla exhibition in Vík.

For more information and travel tips, go www.south.is