The Þingeyjarsýsla County Culture Center encompasses four different but equally fascinating museums.

Husavik Museum (Safnahúsið) has two permanent exhibitions. In the Maritime Museum old boats and tools are on display and visitors can watch a documentary to gain insight into the lives and work of fishermen in centuries past. The second one, “Man and Nature – 100 years in Þingeyjarsýslur”, is providing an overview of daily life in the region between 1850 and 1950. People were in close contact with nature, had to overcome natural hazards and protect their families from various threats, including the occasional polar bear attack.  A stuffed polar bear is one of the items on display. Here is also an Art Collection, a Photography Museum and Regional Archive, as well as an exhibition hall with changing exhibitions and events all year round.

Ten ideas for recreation in Northeast Iceland:

1. 1. Feel hypnotised by Dettifoss, Europe’s most powerful waterfall, and the breathtaking Goðafoss in Aðaldalur and Adleyjarfoss in Bárðardalur valley.
   2. Not just a hot spot for birds, the area around lake Mývatn is a literal hotspot with geothermal activity evident in the bubbling hot springs, Mývatn Nature Baths, and mud pots at Hverarönd.
   3. While on the Diamond Circle, explore its other attractions, including the horseshoe-shaped canyon Ásbyrgi, the fantastic rock formations at Hljóðaklettar and the incredible Jökulsárgljúfur canyon, all part of the Vatnajökull National Park.
   4. Go whale watching from Húsavík, Iceland’s whale watching capital, where lucky travellers have even spotted blue whales, the largest animal which has ever lived.
   5. For another amazing experience on the Arctic Coast Way, relax in geothermal sea baths Geosea by Húsavík, perfectly placed on a hill with a view of Skjálfandi bay.
   6. Continuing along the Arctic Coast Way, discover the magic of the midnight sun on Melrakkaslétta peninsula, the northernmost place on the Icelandic mainland.
   7. Moving on, marvel at the Arctic Henge, which is under construction in Raufarhöfn. It’s an ideal location for viewing the sunset, sunrise and northern lights in winter.
   8. Further east, the desolate beauty of Langanes peninsula attracts with its ghost village Skálar, beaches filled with driftwood and the gannet colony on Skoruvíkurbjarg.
   9. In the summer, Northeast Iceland is teeming with birdlife; check out the Birding Trail.
   10. Get up close and personal with nature on a hiking, cycling or riding tour.

For more information and travel tips, go to www.northiceland.is