Eyjafjörður Fjord in North-Iceland - Historic Churches

On my travels in Iceland I visit all the churches I encounter - and to visit some of them I travel long distances. There are several historic churches in Eyjafjörður fjord, the longest fjord in North Iceland.

In this travel-blog I am going to show you 4 of them, the church at Grund, Saurbæjarkirkja turf church, Munkaþverá church, and the church at Möðruvellir. There are several other churches in Eyjafjörður which I will be writing about later on.

Top photo: Grundarkirkja church

Grundarkirkja church

Inside Grundarkirkja church

I took the photos inside Grundarkirkja back in 2010 when the church was still unlocked

The church at Grund is ever so beautiful and different from most other churches in Iceland in that it has got a lovely spear tower. At Grund, there has been a church since ancient times and the first mention of a church here at Grund was in the year 1106. Back in Catholic times in Iceland, the church was dedicated to St. Laurents. 

The present church was built in 1905 by the farmer, Magnús Sigurðsson, and belonged to him. He cut its window panes himself, but a head carpenter, Ásmundur Bjarnason, drew the church. It is the biggest church in Iceland built by an individual.

Photo taken at the National Museum of Iceland of the chair of Þórunn, the mistress at Grund

Ancient church relics from Grund are now kept at the National Museum of Iceland, including a chalice from the 15th century and an exquisite chair from before the year 1550, from when Þórunn Jónsdóttir was the mistress at Grund. She was the daughter of Jón Arason, who was the last Catholic bishop at Hólar in Hjaltadalur, beheaded in 1550 at Skálholt.

I took the photo above of the chair of Þórunn on one of my visits to the National Museum of Iceland in Reykjavík. It is carved in birch and is the property of the National Museum of Denmark.

The photo below of the chalice I took at the National Museum. It is behind glass, so the photo is grainy. 

The chalice from Grundarkirkja - I took the photo at the National museum

The chalice dates back to 1489 and is the oldest dated artifact at the National Museum. Engraved in it are images from the Passion of Christ. The matching paten (plate) has an engraved cross.

One can walk up the stairs and open a door to the balcony of the Grundarkirkja church and from there you have a great overview of this lovely church. And don't forget to sign the guest book :)

The last time I visited Grundarkirkja church it was locked, as there has been vandalism and theft in our churches, so now most of the churches in Iceland and locked.

Inside Grundarkirkja church

Grund used to be one of the most prominent manors of Eyjafjörður and here lived Chieftain Sighvatur Sturluson, who got killed in Örlygsstaðabardagi battle in 1238, the biggest Viking battle in Iceland.

He was the brother of the well-known Chieftain Snorri Sturluson, who has been called the most influential Icelander ever. Later on, Sighvatur's son, Þórður kakali, lived for a while at Grund.

Grundarkirkja church, being such a historic church, is declared protected.

Grundarkirkja church

This beautiful church is located in Eyjafjörður on road 821 a little bit further away than Hrafnagil and the Christmas House, some 20 km away from the Capital City of the North - Akureyri. It stands on one's left-hand side and is only a 2-minute drive from the road.

The owners of the church at Grund donated the church to the National Museum in 2012. 

Saurbæjarkirkja turf church

Saurbæjarkirkja turf church

In the innermost part of Eyjafjörður, you will find Saurbæjarkirkja turf church, which is one of the few turf churches left in Iceland and the biggest one of the original turf churches. It was erected in 1858. 

I have dedicated a special travel-blog to Saurbæjarkirkja turf church, as these few remaining turf churches in Iceland are to me pure gems.

Inside Saurbæjarkirkja church

There is only a handful left of these beautiful turf churches in Iceland, but in the olden days, all the churches in Iceland were made of turf.

At Saurbær the remains of one of 14 of Iceland's convents have been found.

Saurbæjarkirkja turf church

Saurbæjarkirkja church is located by road 821 just above Smámunasafnið Museum - the Sverrir Hermannsson's Sundry Collection, from where you can get the key to the church in the summertime. It might be closed to visitors by now.

Möðruvallakirkja church in Eyjafjörður

Möðruvallakirkja church

Möðruvallakirkja church is one of two churches with the same name in this area, this one is called Möðruvallakirkja in Eyjafjörður and the other one is called Möðruvallakirkja in Hörgárdalur valley, north of Akureyri.

The current church at Möðruvellir in Eyjafjörður was built in 1847 and consecrated in 1848. It has got no tower but a big wooden cross.

Inside Möðruvallakirkja church

The most precious relic in Möðruvallakirkja church is an altarpiece (triptych) from Nottingham, England, made of alabaster, and donated to the church in 1484.

It is a true masterpiece and I was actually surprised to see such an old altarpiece still in the church and not at our National Museum.

Catholic churches at Möðruvellir were dedicated to St. Martin.

It was impossible to get a good photo of the triptych due to the light

The belfry at Möðruvellir, dating back to 1780, is the only one left of its kind in Iceland. The bells are also old (for Iceland), dating back to 1769, 1799, and 1867.

The belfry is preserved and has belonged to Þjóðminjasafnið - the National Museum of Iceland since 1962, but the church itself belongs to the farmer at Möðruvellir.

The best-known farmer at Möðruvellir must be Guðmundur ríki Eyjólfsson - or Guðmundur the wealthy, about whom you can read in many of our Sagas, f.ex. Ljósvetningasaga. His brother Einar, lived at Þverá, the next church I am going to show you.

The preserved belfry at Möðruvellir in Eyjafjörður

Most of our churches are locked nowadays as they have been vandalized, but we usually ask the farmer for the key to the church.

My husband has the "job" of asking the farmers for the keys to the churches, that is why you see me standing in front of the church door in the first photo, waiting for him to come back with the key ;) 

Munkaþverárkirkja church

Munkaþverárkirkja church

At Munkaþverá a monastery operated for 396 years from 1155-1551, but in 1429 the monastery and the church burnt to the ground with a lot of valuables and 2 priests died.

The present church at Munkaþverá was erected in 1844 by Þorsteinn Daníelsson at Skipalón.

The church is so beautiful on the inside, very decorative with a rainbow painted from the altarpiece on the whole ceiling.

Beauitufil Munkaþverárkirkja church

Munkaþverá, former Þverá or Efri-Þverá, was in the olden days one of the best lands in Iceland, and here lived Ingjaldur, the son of Helgi magri and Þórunn hyrna, the settlers of Eyjafjörður, whom I have told you about in my Akureyri travel-blog. 

And it was the home of Víga-Glúmur, the protagonist of the Saga of Víga-Glúmur. He was the grandson of Ingjaldur who settled at Þverá and who had built a large heathen temple here. 

Einar Þveræingur, the brother of Guðmundur the wealthy, also lived here at Þverá. He came into the possession of Þverá from his kinsman Víga-Glúmur, not that Víga-Glúmur was happy with moving away from the home of his ancestors though.

In one corner of the ceiling, I saw this beautiful painting

You will find a statue of the Virgin Mary at Munkaþverá, erected in the year 2000 in remembrance of the 1000-year anniversary of the adoption of Christianity in Iceland.

The Munkaþverá church was dedicated to the Virgin Mary back then when the nation was Catholic.

A statue of Virgin Mary at Munkaþverá

Apparently, in the graveyard, a Sturlungareitur - Plot of Sturlungar - is to be found, where Chieftain Sighvatur Sturluson of the Sturlung Clan and his sons are buried.

They got killed in the biggest Viking battle in Iceland - the Örlygsstaðabardagi battle - which took place between the biggest Viking clans in Iceland in 1238 in Skagafjörður.

There is a statue of Bishop Jón Arason, the last Catholic bishop, on the site where the old monastery used to stand. Jón Arason studied to become a priest here at Munkaþverá. His daughter lived at Grund, where the beautiful Grundarkirkja church stands, which I mention here above.

The statue of Jón Arason at Munkaþverá

Munkaþverá is located in Eyjafjörður fjord on the east side of the fjord.

To reach the church cross the bridge by Hrafnagil and turn right, drive for a few km and Munkaþverá will be on your right-hand side, not very visible from the road. You will then have to drive down to the church.

By Munkaþverárkirkja in Eyjafjörður

Eyjafjörður fjord is filled with interesting places to visit - and there are many more interesting churches in this long fjord, all of which I have visited - I hope you enjoy exploring Eyjafjörður fjord with me :) 

Eyjafjörður fjord up North - part  I - Hrísey Island, the Pearl of Eyjafjörður

Eyjafjörður fjord up North - part II - Dalvík & the Great Fish Day

Eyjafjörður fjord up North - part III - the Historic Gásir and the Vikings

Eyjafjörður fjord up North - part IV - The Deacon of Dark River - A Ghost Story from North-Iceland

Eyjafjörður fjord up North - part  V - Mt. Hraundrangi in Öxnadalur and Hörgárdalur Valleys

Eyjafjörður fjord up North - part VI - Akureyri - the Capital City of North-Iceland

Eyjafjörður fjord up North - part VII - the Christmas House is open all Year-round

Grundarkirkja church is located some 403 km away from Reykjavík, Iceland's capital city, and some 24 km south of Akureyri, the capital of North Iceland, on road 829.

You can either rent a car in Reykjavík and drive up north to visit the beautiful churches in Eyjafjörður fjord. Or fly up to Akureyri and rent a car up north. 

Have a lovely time in Eyjafjörður :)