Natural gem in West Iceland Snaefellsjökull National Park is one of Iceland’s most well-known natural areas, where breathtaking scenery, diverse wildlife and geological wonders form a unique whole. The national park encompasses Snæfellsjökull glacier and vast lava and coastal areas that have fascinated visitors for decades. Visitor Centres and Services There are two visitor centres in the area that provide …
Dalir District
History and nature The Dalir District is a region where history and nature meet in a unique way. Here you can trace the footsteps of early settlers and the stories of the Icelandic Sagas, while also enjoying tranquillity, diverse outdoor activities and a warm local community. Dalir offers an experience that blends cultural heritage with natural beauty – a place …
The Akranes Folk Museum
Living Cultural Heritage of Akranes The Akranes Folk Museum at Garðar has in recent years become one of the town’s main attractions. The museum offers a unique experience for everyone – even for those who do not usually consider themselves museum enthusiasts. Here, the history of settlement, industry and daily life south of Skarðsheiði is brought vividly to life. Main …
The Akranes Lighthouse
A Symbol of West Iceland The Akranes Lighthouse stands at the western tip of Akranes and is one of the town’s most recognisable landmarks. There are two lighthouses: the older one was built in 1918 on Suðurflös, designed by Thorvald Krabbe, and is one of Iceland’s oldest concrete lighthouses. It is square, painted white and 10 metres tall. Its original …
War and Peace Museum
The Story of the Allied Occupation in Hvalfjörður The War and Peace Museum in Hvalfjörður tells the remarkable story of the Allied forces stationed in Iceland during the Second World War, with exhibitions showcasing original artefacts from the period. The museum opened in 2012 and has since become a popular destination for both Icelandic and international visitors. The exhibition traces …
The Maritime Museum at Hellissandur
In the Fishermen’s Garden at Sandahraun is a Maritime Museum – a living reminder of traditional seafaring and life beneath the glacier. Here you can see unique artefacts that tell the story of rowing boats, fishing culture, and everyday life in past centuries. The Rowing Boats Bliki and Ólafur Skagfjörð The Maritime Museum at Hellissandur preserves two remarkable rowing boats: …
Visit West Iceland
In West Iceland, there’s history at every footstep. Tour the Saga Trail in West Iceland and visit the sites of the Icelandic sagas and folk stories and notable historical events. Most of the Icelandic sagas were written in West Iceland, including Egil’s saga, Sturlunga saga, Laxdæla saga and Eyrbyggja saga, so “Sagaland” is an apt description for the region. In …
The Agricultural Museum of Iceland
In Hvanneyri, the heart of the Borgarfjörður countryside, you’ll find The Agricultural Museum of Iceland. This is the perfect place to learn about the Icelandic agriculture’s significant history, observe old tools and equipment, and think about farming’s future developments. The museum puts particular emphasis on the early technological era. Among its most notable objects are tools used in Iceland’s first …
The Settlement Center
The Settlement Center in Borgarnes takes visitors on a magical journey through Egil’s saga and the story of Iceland’s settlement; two interesting exhibitions. The Egil´s exhibition is dedicated to Egill Skallagrímsson, poet, warrior, and one of the Icelandic sagas’ most colorful characters in the 10th century. The exhibition takes visitors through the magical and mythical storyline of Egil’s saga. Scenes …
Eiríksstaðir
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 …
The Leif Eiriksson Center
The Leif Eiriksson Center in Búðardalur in Dalir is edicated to explorer Leif the Lucky and his father Eric the Red. The exhibiton traces the Saga of the Greenlanders and the Saga of Erik the Red, documenting their discoveries of parts of Greenland and North America. According to the tale, Leif arrived in America in the year 1000 AD, about …
Snorrastofa in Reykholt
Snorrastofa is an independent research centre established in 1995. The centre is located in Reykholt in western Iceland, the main residence of Iceland’s greatest medieval writer, poet, scholar and statesman, Snorri Sturluson (1179-1241). Its main task is to instigate and conduct research on the medieval period in general, and Snorri and his works in particular. It is one of Iceland’s …