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 …
Skyrland in Selfoss
Skyrland exhibition is located in The Old Dairy, part of the newly opened Selfoss Centre. From the first settlers, struggling to survive the freezing winters, to the 21st century kitchen table, skyr is woven through the story of a nation. A journey of sights, scents and tastes, you’ll discover a 1000-year story of how a Viking dairy product became a …
The Wilderness Center
Visiting The Wilderness Center, in Fljótsdalur valley, is an adventure. As soon as guests park their cars and cross the old wooden bridge at the center, they step into the past. Every detail at the premises has been remade in the original style to make the visitor feel as if taking part in an adventure of the past. The buildings, …
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 …
Skriðuklaustur Cultural Center
The drive along Fljótsdalur (“river valley”) is a bit like travelling back in time. Skriðuklaustur in Fljótsdalur valley is a historical site with the ruins of a 16th century monastery which was revealed in an archaeological excavation in the years 2002-2012. It was an Augustinian cloister, established around 1493 and in function until the reformation in 1550. The cloister was …
Eldheimar – Volcano Museum
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 …
Þingvellir National Park
Visit Þingvellir National Park for stunning nature, geological wonders, history and culture. Iceland’s parliament, Alþingi, was established there in 930 AD. Þingvellir became a national park in 1930 and was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004 for its cultural significance. The Þingvellir area is part of a fissure zone running through Iceland, situated on the Eurasian and …
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 …