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Reykjavik is the capital of Iceland and the northernmost capital of a sovereign state in the world.

Despite a small population (120.000 and more than 200.000 in the Greater Reykjavik area), it is a vibrant city that draws an ever increasing number of visitors. It is the financial, cultural and governmental center of Iceland. It also has a reputation of being one of the cleanest and safest cities in the world.

Geography

The city of Reykjavik is located in southwest Iceland by the creek of the same name. Throughout the ages, the landscape has been shaped by glaciers, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and the area is geothermal.  Much of the current city area area was subglacial during the Ice Age, with the glacier reaching as far as the Alftanes peninsula, while other areas lay under the sea.  After the end of the ice age the land rose as the glaciers drifted away, and it began to take on its present form.

The coastline of Reykjavik is set with peninsulas, coves, straights and islands, most notably the island of Videy, and seabirds and whales frequent the shores. The mountain ring as seen from the shore is particularly beautiful. Mount Esja is the highest mountain in the vicinity of Reykjavik and lends its distinct feature to the whole area. This majestic mountain is also highly popular for climbing. Other notable mountains that can be seen from the seaside are Akrafjall and Skardsheidi and on clear days one may even see as far to the legendary Snaefellsjokull glacier, at the end of the Snafellsnes peninsula.

The largest river to run through the city is Ellidaa in Ellidaardalur valley, which is also one of Iceland‘s best rivers for salmon fishing.

Transportion

There are no trains or trams in Iceland, but most people travel by car. The city also operates a bus system. There are two major harbours in town, the old harbour in the center and Sundahofn in the east. The domestic Reykjavik Airport is located at Vatnsmyrin, not far from the city center and close to Oskjuhlid and Perlan. The international  Keflavik Airport at Midnesheidi heath then lies around 50 km from the city. Cars, jeeps and bicycles can be readily rented in the city and many organized tours are also being offered.

What to See & Do in Reykjavik

The local arts scene is strong in Iceland, with both annual events and single ones, many of whom have hit the international stage. For the annual ones please check our articles Best Annual Events in Iceland and the Top Ten Festivals in Iceland. Major events taking place in Reykjavik include the Iceland Airwaves, Gay Pride, RIFF (The Reykjavik International Film Festival), The Reykjavik Literature Festival, Cultural Night, the Reykjavik Arts Festival, Food & Fun, the Reykjavik Fashion Festival and the Sónar music festival.

Among famous people from Reykjavik are artists Bjork Gudmundsdottir, Sigur Ros, writers Halldor Laxness (born in Laugarvegur) and Arnaldur Indridason and mayor Jon Gnarr. For more well-known and fairly-well known Icelanders, check our article on the subject.

You might also want to check our article on some of the many things to see and do in Reykjavik, such as visiting the city‘s many museums, exhibitions and galleries, checking out live music, visiting the Harpa music hall or the theaters, visiting the lighthouse at Grotta, the main shopping street of Laugavegur, visiting the old harbour and the flea market, going on a bird- and whalewatching tour or visiting Videy island. We also have a top ten list of things to do.

Make sure to visit the publis square of Austurvollur, one of the city‘s most popular gathering places, where you‘ll also find the national parliament, Althingi, the state church a statue of independence hero Jon Sigurdson, as well as cafés, bars and restaurants. Austurvollur was central in the 2008 protests, along with Laekjargata, home to the House of Government. You are also not likely to miss the great church of Hallgrimskirkja that towers over the city from the hill of Skolavorduholt, wherefrom you‘ll get a great view of the city.

 Try a walk by the city pond, greet the many birds that frequent the area and visit the city hall, stationed by its banks. The Hljomaskalagardur is a beautiful park that lies by the pond, it ideal for a nice walk and sometimes concerts get held there. Further off is the campus of the university of Iceland, the Nordic house and the Vatnsmyri wetland, a particularly pleasant place, but be mindful of not disturbing the wildlife there and keep to the pathways.

 For a nice swim on a warm day, we particularly recommend Nautholsvik beach.

Visit the Laugardalur valley, home to one of the city‘s best swimming pools, as well as the Asmundarsafn gallery, a beautiful botanical garden and a domestic zoo. A walk by the Aegissida beach, with it‘s old fishing sheds, in the west part of Reykjavik also holds a particular charm. The aforementioned Elllidaardalur valley is also a popular resort.  

Another place that offers one of the city‘s best (and free) views is Perlan, up in Oskjuhlid hill. The hill itself is a popular resort, with over 176.000 trees and great opportunities for walking and cycling.

Travel to Alftanes to see the president‘s house at Bessastadir, which is also a historical site in it‘s own right, having been the educational center of Iceland for centuries. Nearby is a beautiful lava field, Galgahraun, well worth a visit, though there is currently an environmental struggle going on as to it‘s future state.

The city is furthermore a short drive from many of Iceland‘s major attractions, most famously the Golden Circle and the Blue Lagoon. In close vicinity you‘ll also find the Heidmork preservation area, a favorite passtime resort of the people of Reykjavik, as well as the Blue Mountains, one of Iceland‘s most beloved skiing venues.

Check our Best of Reykjavik guide further for tips on the best cheap things to do in Reykjavik, some of the best restaurants in the city, happy hours, the top ten value places to eat and our two articles on the famous Reykjavik nightlife; Nightlife in Reykjavik and Nightlife and mating.

Finally, we‘d like to stress that these are only some suggestions of the many things you might check out in Reykjavik. Whatever you choose to do, we hope you‘ll be able to make the most of your visit and we wish you a pleasant stay in our capital.

Faxaflói is a large bay in west Iceland, between the Reykjanes and Snӕfellsnes Peninsula. It faces Reykjavík, and is a hot spot for puffin and whale watching.

Activities in Faxaflói Bay

Whale watching tours head into Faxaflói from Reykjavík throughout the year. Throughout the summer, the most commonly seen species are Minke and Humpback whales, while Harbour Porpoises and White-Beaked Dolphins are seen year-round. Other species are seen on occasion, including Orcas and Blue Whales.

From May to September, some of these tours include a puffin-watching segment to the islands of Lundey and Akurey, where visitors can see them nesting on the rocks and bobbing in the water.

Another island, Viðey, can easily be visited throughout the year by boat, with tickets included on the Reykjavík City Card. It is home to the Yoko Ono Peace Tower.

Sea-angling is also popular in Faxaflói, and it is possible to rent a rod and fish from Reykjavík Harbour.

Faxaflói Bay from Reykjavík

Faxaflói Bay is a beautiful feature of Iceland’s capital, visible from much of the city. Many of Reykjavík’s greatest landmarks have it as their backdrop, as they hug the coastline.

Harpa Concert Hall, for example, is an incredible feat of modern architecture that juts out into the water. The Sun Voyager is a popular statue that also looks out to the sea.

In decent weather, visitors can see some of Iceland’s most beautiful nature across Faxaflói. Mount Esjan is the most dominant feature, but when it is especially clear, it is possible to see the Reykjanes and Snӕfellsnes Peninsulas.

Viðey is an island just off the coast of Reykjavík, Iceland’s capital city. It is a popular destination due to its natural beauty, the artworks that have been erected here, and its accessibility and affordability.

The island was once inhabited, even having a monastery, but has long since been deserted. Very few buildings remain here.

Getting to Viðey Island

Boats to Viðey Island throughout the year, leaving from Skarfabakki pier at Sundahöfn harbour. This is just about five kilometres (three miles) from the centre of Reyjavík. The journey takes approximately twenty minutes.

Tickets to Viðey can be bought in isolation, but are included for free on a Reykjavík City Card. These cards provide you with either free access or heavily discounted access to a wealth of the capital’s cultural sites, museums, pools and galleries.

Artwork and Culture at Viðey Island

Viðey is best known internationally as the location for the Imagine Peace Tower. Envisioned and designed by Yoko Ono, it was intended as a tribute both to her late husband John Lennon, from the Beatles, and to their shared vision of a world free of war and united in love.

The tower is only lit at certain times of the year, such as over Lennon’s birthday and other significant events. Yoko Ono regularly comes to Iceland, and often attends the lighting of the tower.

One of the few buildings on the island was the home of ‘the father of Reykjavík, Skuli Magnusson. This house, Videyjarstofa, now displays paintings of renowned Icelandic artists. 

The island’s last great artwork was constructed  by one of the world's most renowned sculptors, Richard Sierra. It can be found on the west side of the island, and is called Milestones.

Videy also has a graveyard, the final resting place of many known Icelanders. Gunnar Gunnarson, for example, is buried here, a renowned author who wrote novels such as Fjallkirkjan ('The Church on the Mountain'), Svartfugl (The Black Cliffs) and Adventa (The Good Shepherd).

The flat-topped mountain Esja, often called Esjan, is Iceland’s most popular destination for day hiking. It is situated in Kjalarnes in the south-west corner of Iceland.

Only 10 kilometres (6 miles) from the city of Reykjavík across Faxaflói Bay, the mountain is a dominant feature of the capital’s skyline. In reality, Esja is not a true mountain in itself, but a volcanic range, the highest peak of which reaches 914 metres (2,999 feet) tall.

Geology and History

Esja's formation dates back to the beginning of the last Ice Age. Magma rising from eruptions formed layers of lava beneath a glacier, and when the ice retreated, it ground much of it away and left the mountain in its current form.

The volcano is no longer active, so it has little changed since.

Since Iceland is situated on the boundary between two tectonic plates, Eurasia and North America, the continuous tension pushes the sedimentary soil to the west. This makes the western part of the range the oldest (at about 3.2 million years) and the eastern part the youngest (at about 1.8 million years).

Esja is composed of basalt and tuff rock. It has quite a lot of vegetation for an Icelandic peak, with many lupin and wildflower fields across it in summer.

Recently, Esja has been the site of several concerts, with helicopters taking music-lovers up to the peak for a great show beneath the midnight sun.

Hiking and precautionary measures

Because of the mountain's proximity to the capital city (less than an hour by car, or accessible by taking two regular buses), Esja is an extremely popular hiking destination for locals and visitors alike. The path up the mountain is divided into different sections, with signs indicating the difficulty of each route.

The most well-known paths lead to the separate summits of Þverfellshorn (780 metres or 2,560 feet) and Kerhólakambur (851 metres or 2,790 feet).

The highest point is called Hábunga and requires an additional three-kilometre trek northeast from Þverfellshorn. Approximately 200 metres (656 ft) from the top, hikers find themselves at a large rock named Steinn where they are faced with three options: continuing on the marked trail, climbing directly to the peak, or simply enjoying the great views before descending.

When hiking Esja, it is important to be equipped with proper hiking gear, with a good knowledge of your capabilities. Amateur hikers should only take a simple route, and only expert climbers should try to scale Steinn.

It is also imperative that you get the weather forecast ahead of arrival, so you know what precautions to take.

Avalanches and accidents can and do claim lives; in fact, according to the Iceland Touring Association, Esja holds the record for the most accidents in Icelandic nature. There are several incidents here a year, especially through winter with ice, rain and heavy fog, several of which have resulted in death.

This is largely due to its popularity, as if you take necessary precautions and do not push your limits, however, you minimise the risk to yourself dramatically.

If you take a path you know you can do in clear weather, at your own pace and in appropriate clothing, then you can hike confidently

Harpa is Rekjavík’s premier concert hall and conference centre. Opened in 2011, it was designed by a collaboration between Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson, and the Danish firm Henning Larsen Architects. Today, it is a cultural centre of Reykjavík and one of the city’s most iconic landmarks.

History

The idea for a purpose-built concert hall in Reykjavík had been tossed around since the 1880s, but it wasn't until this millennium that it began to gain traction. Construction finally began on it in 2007, with Icelanders as blissfully unaware as the rest of us of problems that year would bring.

The wake of the financial crash of 2008 hit Iceland far harder than most other countries; its banks far overstretched themselves across Europe, and ended up heavily indebting the people when they collapsed.

The future of Iceland’s economy was uncertain, especially when the government declared they would not bail out the banks nor pay off their debts, much to the chagrin of countries like the Netherlands and the UK.

In this tumultuous period, Harpa was left partially constructed, with no funds to finish it. The Icelandic populace was divided between having a half-finished construction site facing their downtown, a humiliating reminder of their country’s financial state, or spending money no-one was sure they had.

The Icelandic government, however, decided that it was the only building in the country that warranted being raised, in spite of the dubious future of the economy, and fully financed its completion.

When the European Court of Justice ruled that Iceland did not have to bend to the will of its debtors, the country was united in supporting it.

Architecture

Harpa won the prestigious Mies van de Rohe award in 2013, otherwise known as the European Prize for Contemporary Architecture, and is featured heavily in any tour of the city. Its structure is beautiful and unique; it has a facade of 714 glass panels, all of which are a different shape and built with an LED light that allows for shows whenever the sky is dark.

Olafur Eliasson is world-renowned for his large-scale installation art, and for the influences he takes from the natural world. This is clearly exhibited in Harpa; it reflects the basalt landscapes of Iceland and the dark coloured glass creates beautiful effects with the natural light. Considering the midnight sun and aurora borealis, this can be quite spectacular.

Studio Olafur Eliasson employs 90 people, from architects to graphic designers, craftsmen to art historians. Based in Berlin, they work across the world, and are well-known for works such as London's 2007 Serpentine Gallery Pavillion and the annual event Life is Space.

Henning Larsen Architects are similarly successful. They have collaborated on the construction of dozens of buildings in over twenty countries, such as the Copenhagen Opera House and Uppsala Concert Hall in Sweden. They are currently working on the creation of thirteen buildings around the world, many of which they scored the opportunity to work on due to their competition-winning designs.

Harpa Today

Today, Harpa is one of the jewels in Reykjavík’s crown. The hall hosts exhibitions, concerts, cultural events, meetings, and festivals such as Airwaves, Sónar and the Reykjavík Fashion Festival. Home of the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra and the offices of the Icelandic Opera, it is a centre of culture in Iceland’s capital.

Many internationally known artists from around the world have performed here, including people such as Eddie Izzard and Cyndi Lauper. It also regularly showcases native talent, such as Björk and Of Monsters and Men.

Below, you can see a video showing Harpa's construction