The Museum of Design and Applied Art, founded in 1998, is a dynamic museum that enhances awareness, inspires and creates opportunities related to Icelandic design by collecting, archiving and sharing Icelandic design from the year 1900 to the present day. The museum serves as a platform for a community that is involved in these matters and utilizes access to the …
Lava Show in Reykjavík
LAVA SHOW recreates a volcanic eruption by superheating real lava up to 1100°C (2000°F) and then pouring it into a showroom full of people. Once the lava enters the showroom, the temperature instantly rises and from the safety of their seats, our guests can clearly see, smell, hear and feel the intense heat from the lava. The lava originates from the 1918 …
Gljúfrasteinn – Laxness Museum
Halldór Laxness (1902-1998), winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1955, stands head and shoulders above the other Icelandic writers of the 20th century. He was prolific during his long career, writing 13 major novels, five plays and a dramatisation of one of his novels, not to mention his collections of short stories, essays and memoirs. His books have …
Bessastaðir
Besides being the residence of the President of Iceland, Bessastaðir is also an important historical site that has played a prominent role in the history of the country. The property of Bessastaðir on Álftanes, near Reykjavík, has a history that runs from the Age of Settlement. In its present form, Bessastaðir consists of a group of buildings including Bessastaðastofa, a …
The Institute of Archaeology
The Institute of Archaeology (Instarch) was established 1995. From the start the institute has aimed to provide high quality research and project outputs in Icelandic archaeology. It´s innovative survey technique has proved successful in Iceland by integrating place names, ethnography, historical documents, and archaeological information into a single database, Ísleif. The institute also aim to bridge the research and commercial …
EDDA – Manuscript exhibition
The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies (Árnastofnun) is an independently funded academic research institute at the University of Iceland, operating under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and Business Affairs. Its role is to conduct research in the field of Icelandic studies and related scholarly disciplines, in particular, Icelandic language and literature; to disseminate knowledge in these fields; …
The Cultural Heritage Agency
The main role of The Cultural Heritage Agency of Iceland is to assure, so far as practicable, the preservation of cultural heritage in its natural environment, to facilitate and promote public access and knowledge of such heritage. Cultural heritage includes evidence of the nation’s history such as archaeological heritage, cultural landscape, church relics, memorials, buildings and other structures, ships and …
The Wapp – hiking app
The Wapp is a free app with a collection of GPS tracks for hiking, trekking or walking in Iceland with various information on nature, history, folk tales and the environment in general. The tracks are combined with a detailed map and are downloaded beforehand and used offline. The trails are of great variety and the experience meaningful and full of …
Viking World
The uniquely attractive Viking World houses the Viking ship, Íslendingur, built by the craftsman-captain, Gunnar Marel Eggertsson, who sailed it to New York in the year 2000. There are also three exciting exhibits and during summers, among other things is a ‘Settlement Zoo’ on the surrounding grounds. The Viking ship Íslendingur is an exact replica of the Gaukstad ship, and …
Heritage Museum on Garðskagi
The Heritage Museum on Garðskagi (Byggðasafnið á Garðskaga) is located in a beautiful museum area by Garðskagaviti Lighthouse in Suðurnesjabær, on the Reykjanes Peninsula in the unique Reykjanes Geopark. There is a panoramic view in all directions, hiking trails by the shore, diverse bird life and the sea in its ever-changing form and whales often seen close to the shore. …
Hofsstaðir Historic Park
An impressive Viking-Age longhouse stood at Hofsstaðir from the Settlement period (AD 870-930) until the twelfth century. The historic park aims to give an impression of Hofsstaðir at that time: turf walls show the outer limit of the longhouse during its final phase, and remains of a large enclosure have been left untouched. Excavations were carried out at Hofsstaðir in …
Rimmugýgur Viking Club
Rimmugýgur is a club for people who are interested in the culture and battle skills of the Vikings. Is is the biggest Viking club in Iceland, established in the year 1997. They practice and prepare during the winter and tour festivals in Iceland and abroad during the summer. The club’s own festival in Hafnarfjörður is usually held in mid-June. In …
Hey Iceland
With over 30 years experience, Hey Iceland is a leading expert in guiding those wanting to travel through the Icelandic countryside. The company offers a range of self-drive packages, guided tours and day tours all year round, as well as a vast network of comfortable accommodation in scenic locations. The travel agency was founded by farmers in 1980, the Icelandic …
Hafnarfjörður Museum
The Hafnarfjörður Museum hosts seven exhibitions in. In Pakkhúsið (The Storage House), The Sívertsen House, the Bookless Bungalow, Siggubær (House of Sigga), Beggubúð (Store of Begga), Guttó and on Strandstíg (Coastal path). At the exhibition „That’s how it was…“ in Pakkhúsið, the history of Hafnarfjörður and its surroundings is traced from the settlement to the present day with the help …
The Settlement Exhibition & Reykjavík… the story continues
Just below ground in Aðalstræti 16 in downtown Reykjavík, this open excavation uncovers the city’s Viking Age history. Discovered during building work in 2001, these archaeological remains turned out to be the earliest evidence of human settlement in the city, with some dating to before AD 871±2. Careful excavation revealed a 10th-century hall or longhouse, which is now preserved in …
Árbær Open Air Museum
Árbær Open Air Museum in Reykjavík is a museum with about 20 houses from different periods, including the old turf farm Árbær. Together, they form a village and countryside. Visitors learn how Reykjavík developed from a few scattered farms into the capital of Iceland. They can walk around the village and enter the old houses for an insight into the …
Reykjavík Maritime Museum
The Reykjavík Maritime Museum bears witness to the importance of fishing in Icelandic history; the museum building used to be a thriving fish factory. The new permanent and recent exhibition, “Fish & Folk – 150 years of fisheries,” covers fishing off Iceland since rowboats were replaced by large fishing vessels in the last decades of the 19th century and the …
National Museum of Iceland
The curious displays at the National Museum of Iceland captivate visitors of all ages. The secrets of the past will open up to you through the compelling stories told at the National Museum of Iceland. The permanent exhibition at the National Museum, “Making of a Nation – Heritage and History in Iceland”, is conceived as a journey through time and …
Saga Museum
At the height of the Age of the Sturlungs, chieftain Gissur Þorvaldsson raises his axe, ready to kill his arch enemy, Sturla Sighvatsson. With a crazed look in her eyes, explorer Freydís Eiríksdóttir slaps a sword against her naked breast to scare hostile “barbarians” in Vinland away. Law-speaker Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði lies under his fur blanket, racking his brain for a …
Duus Museum
Duus Museum, the Art and Cultural Center of Reykjanesbær, is located near the marina in overlooking the Keflavík bay. It houses the exhibition halls for the local museums, concert halls and halls for mixed cultural activities. The exhibitions cover fine art, history and nature, so there is a lot to see. This is also where the visitor center for Reykjanes …
Museum of Rock’n’ Roll
Many people know Icelandic artists such as the Sucarcubes, Björk, Sigur Rós and Of Monsters and Men. What’s their story? What’s their background? And how did these bands become so successful coming from the tiny population of Iceland? At the Icelandic Museum of Rock ‘n’ Roll in Reykjanesbær, only 6 km from Keflavik Airport, you can walk through the history …