Hofskirkja Turf Church in Öræfi in South-East Iceland - the youngest one
Hofskirkja church is a beautiful turf church in the Öræfi region in South-East Iceland. There are only 6 turf churches remaining in Iceland and Hofskirkja is the last of the old churches to be built in this beautiful traditional turf style.
Its walls are made of rock and the roof is made of stone slabs, covered with turf.
Hofskirkja turf church
There has been a church at Hof in Öræfi for 700 years and the first written records of a church being on this site are from a cartulary (an old medieval document) from 1343. The core of the current church was built in 1883-1885.
The interior of the church is paneled and painted in lovely colours. The church is divided into nave and choir and these two parts of the church are separated by a chancel screen. There is timber in the upper part of the choir gable and the front gable.
Inside Hofskirkja turf church
Hofskirkja was built by the carpenter Páll Pálsson. Among the objects in the church are Danish tin candle-lights from the 16th or 17th century.
The maker of the hardware, lock, and hinges was Þorsteinn Gissurarson, a blacksmith from Hof. Þorsteinn was a well-known blacksmith and got the nickname "tool" because of his profession.
The church was dedicated to St. Clement back when Iceland was a Catholic country.
Inside Hofskirkja turf church
As I have mentioned earlier then Hofskirkja was the last church in Iceland to be built in this old traditional style. Horfskirkja was rebuilt in 1953-1954 by the National Museum of Iceland and reconsecrated in 1954.
Since this traditional turf church style was abandoned timber churches were erected in Iceland and later concrete churches.
You will find a water tub just outside the turf walls of the cemetery (south) where Þorsteinn tool used to cool his hot iron.
By the church, you will find a cemetery and in this cemetery, you will notice all the mounds, which look like big tussocks. These are the graves in the cemetery.
Creeks from Mt. Hofsfjall were used to create electricity in the church.
The cemetery by Hofskirkja
This lovely turf church came into the possession of the National Museum of Iceland in 1951 under the condition that the museum would rebuild and maintain it - and that it would still serve as the district's parish church. The turf church is now a part of the National Museum's Historic Buildings Collection.
Ring-road 1 wasn't opened until 1974 when the rivers on Skeiðarársandur outwash plains were bridged. Until then the road didn't reach any further than Mt. Lómagnúpur in South-Iceland.
Before 1974 the farm at Hof was isolated, but it is now by the ring road and easily accessible.
Mt. Lómagnúpur
I adore these cute little turf churches and I am so glad that some of them were preserved as historical monuments. To me, they are pure gems.
But as they are so delicate and fragile they have to be preserved and that is why most of them are now closed to the public.
See also:
A List of the beautiful Icelandic Turf Houses, which I have visited on my Travels in Iceland
Hofskirkja
Hofskirkja turf church is located in the vicinity of Vatnajökull glacier some 20 km south-east of Skaftafell in Vatnajökull National Park.
See also:
Svartifoss & other astonishing Attractions in Skaftafell in South-Iceland
To reach this area you can rent a car in Reykjavík and drive east. Hofskirkja is located about 87 km east of the next village Kirkjubæjarklaustur.
My husband by Hofskirkja turf church
Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon and the Breiðamerkursandur Ice Diamond Beach are some 38 km away. So there are many interesting sights in this area of southeast Iceland.
Take Hofsvegur road off ring-road 1, drive for five minutes, and you will find Hof, due south of Hvannadalshnjúkur, Iceland’s highest peak.
Here is the location of Hofskirkja church on the map. GPS: 63°54'24.2"N 16°42'27.1"W
See also:
The Historical Kirkjubæjarklaustur, Systrafoss & Systrastapi in South-Iceland
Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon and Iceland's sparkling Ice Diamond Beach
On the website of Þjóðminjasafn Ísland - the National Museum of Iceland is written that this turf church is now closed to the public.
Have a lovely time in Iceland :)
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요쿨살론부터 비크까지, 꽃보다 청춘 5화
드디어 하늘씨과 쓰리스톤즈가 합류했는데요! 설원을 달리는 모습에 저도 아이슬란드가 엄청 그리워졌답니다. 빙하와 빛나는 요쿨살론 첫번째로 향한 요쿨살론(Jokulsarlon)은 아이슬란드의 대표적인 명소 중 하나랍니다. 영어로 Glacier lagoon 이라고도 하는데요. 방송에 나온 것처럼 눈 앞에 보이는 빙하는 빙하수가 흘러서 녹았다 얼었다를더 보기스코가포스 폭포부터 오로라까지, 꽃보다청춘 4화를 따라서
여행 5일째, 포스톤즈가 처음으로 향한 곳은 아이슬란드 남부에 있는 스코가포스 폭포(skogasfoss)입니다. 아이슬란드 남부의 대표적인 폭포 중 하나에요. 방송에서는 들르지 않았지만 스코가포스 거의 바로 옆에 위치한 셀리야란드스포스(seljalandsfoss) 폭포와 함께 같이 들르곤 한답니다. 스코가포스 폭포는 폭포의 물줄기 끝까지 올라갈 수 있단더 보기꽃청춘을 따라서
요즘 인기리에 방영되고 있는 꽃보다 청춘 아이슬란드편! 저도 매주 빼놓지 않고 시청하고 있습니다. 많은 분들께서 포스톤즈의 발랄한 매력과 아이슬란드의 놀라운 경치에 빠져드셨을 것 같습니다! 이번에는 꽃보다 청춘을 따라서 아이슬란드를 한번 가보도록 해요! 사실 아이슬란드가 한국에서 그렇게 가기 쉬운 나라는 아닙니다. 거리도 멀고 항공권도 비싸고! 우더 보기
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