Eyjafjörður Fjord - Akureyri, the beautiful Capital City of North-Iceland

Akureyri is the capital city of North Iceland and situated in Eyjafjörður fjord, so I think it is fitting to add a special travel-blog in my Eyjafjörður series about this magical city of the North. 

It has got a population of approximately 19,156 people (2020) making it the second-largest city in Iceland after the Greater Reykjavík area. 

Top photo: Downtown Akureyri

Péturskirkja - the Catholic church in Akureyri

Akureyri is such a beautiful city with a lot of character, surrounded by high mountains and only some 100 km away from the Arctic circle. A lot of cruise ships stop in Akureyri harbour in the summertime, and I have never visited it without seeing a cruise ship in the harbour.

I love visiting Akureyri and it brings back good childhood memories from when I visited it with my family as a child. Back then my great-aunt lived here and we often stayed with her. Now I have got many relatives who live in Akureyri. 

Akureyri town

During my visit to Akureyri, I have camped in the campground and stayed at the hotels, hostels and guesthouses, of which there are many in Akureyri. 

My photo below is taken at the campground, which is in the middle of the city, next to a supermarket. Sometimes I just have to save money and camp, especially when I travel around Iceland for weeks on end - although it is not my preferred way of spending the night.

Camping in Akureyri

Fortunately one of our friends moved up to Akureyri because of work so now we stay we him every time we go up north. So now we visit more often and stay for longer each year. There is so much to see and do here and I will be adding a lot more to this travel-blog.

Akureyri Botanical garden 

The beautiful Botanical garden in Akureyri

The beautiful Botanical garden in Akureyri - Lystigarður Akureyrar - is not to be missed when visiting the city. Imagine that, a botanical garden so close to the Arctic Circle.

The park was founded in 1912 after a group of housewives founded the Park society and wanted "to have a park in Akureyri for the adornment for the town and a recreational place for the inhabitants". 

The beautiful Botanical garden in Akureyri

They were given 1 ha and created the first public park in Iceland and ran it with pride until 1953 when the town of Akureyri took over the management of the public garden and added a botanical garden in 1957.  

At first, it was only open on Sunday afternoons, but now it is open all summer long until late in the evening. Since 1957 it has grown every year into a beautiful park with over 400 species of native plants and 6,600 alien plants.

Seeds are collected from the plants and sold to other countries, which has become increasingly popular.

The beautiful Botanical garden in Akureyri

It is a really popular park both amongst the inhabitants of Akureyri and tourists alike. Do pay it a visit if you are in the area, it is ever so pretty.    

I visit the park every time I go up north - it is like entering a small magical oasis of colourful flowers, statues, bridges and poems and a lovely little fountain. I have such fond memories from here when we had a picnic in the botanical garden when I was a child. Now I meet friends at the café in the park.

Akureyrarkirkja church

My father-in-law running up and down the church steps in Akureyri

The landmark of Akureyri is Akureyrarkirkja - the Church of Akureyri - with 112 steps to the top of the hill. It is such a beautiful church, consecrated in 1940. It was back then the biggest church in Iceland. 

Inside the church, you will find 17 beautiful stained glass windows. The church was designed by Guðjón Samúelsson, the State Architect of Iceland.

Nobody should visit Akureyri without walking up the steps to the church - while counting the steps - that is kind of a tradition here in Iceland. In the photo above you can see my father-in-law coming down the steps after having run up them while counting them :)

The Akureyri heart

Also, an obligatory photo is in the Akureyri heart - with the hashtag Love Akureyri :)

Helgi magri & Þórunn hyrna- the Settlers of Eyjafjörður fjord

Helgi magri & Þórunn hyrna- the Settlers of Eyjafjörður fjord

Helgi magri Eyvindarson or Helgi the thin was the settler of the whole of Eyjafjörður and lived at Kristnes by Akureyri. Helgi spent the first winter at Árskógsströnd (most likely somewhere close to where the Beer Spa is now located at Árskógssandur ;)).

Seeing that Eyjafjörður fjord is one of the longest fjords in Iceland then Helgi magri handed out parts of it to his children and kin. F.ex. Efri-Þverá, now Munkaþverá, to his son Ingjaldur. I have written a bit about Munkaþverá in another travel blog. 

Helgi magri & Þórunn hyrna- the Settlers of Eyjafjörður fjord

If you search really hard you will find the statue of Helgi magri and his wife Þórunn hyrna, who was the daughter of Ketill flatnefur. But the children of Ketill flatnefur settled in big parts of Iceland. Þórunn hyrna was f.ex. the sister of Auður djúpúðga, who settled at Hvammur in West-Iceland.

Her brother, Helgi bjóla, settled Kjalarnes and her other brother, Björn austræni, settled in Snæfellsnes and lived in Bjarnarhöfn.

The statue, which was made by Jónas S. Jakobsson in 1956, is located on top of Hamarkotsklappir behind the Police station (Lögreglustöðin).  

Helgamagrastræti in Akureyri is named after the settler Helgi magri

Two prominent streets in Akureyri are named after these settlers - Helgamagrastræti street and Þórunnarstræti street.

Next to the statue, you will find an old view-dial. I was actually looking for the view-dial, when I came across the statue, as my husband's family has made many of the Icelandic view-dials.

On the view-dial is written 1949 - Ferðafélag Akureyrar, but these view-dials show the names and height of the surrounding mountains. The view-dial on Hamarskotsklappir was designed by Sigurjón Rist. It is a copper plate made in Norway, on a molten pillar. 

The view-dial at Hamarkotsklappir in Akureyri

According to the medium Margrét at Öxnafell, who lived here in Eyjafjörður, an elf-lady resides here at Hamarkotsklappir. She lives west of the statue of the settlers. In a book about Margét Skyggna konan, Margrét says the following about the elf-lady at Hamarkotsklappir:

"She is brunette, tall and thin, smiling and happy. I have often seen her and last time this summer (1959). She then smiled at me like before and I felt that she recognised me. I never saw her husband and had the feeling that he was away. She has many grown-up children.

The view-dial at Hamarkotsklappir in Akureyri and the statue of the settlers

Judging by their clothing they were going to work when they left the house (house of the hidden people - RHR). This woman has never spoken to me and therefore I know little about her life and the life of the children. Other people have seen this woman".

(Translated from the book Skyggna konan from 1960 - pages 32-33).

Margrét from Öxnafell in Eyjafjörður was a well-known medium in her time and saw the hidden people in many places in Akureyri and around Iceland, f.ex. in Ásbyrgi and at Lóndrangar and many many more places.

The Parents of the Icelandic Yule Lads in the City Centre

The parents of the Yule Lads, Grýla and Leppalúði

The parents of the Yule Lads are Grýla and Leppalúði and you can find them right in the centre of Akureyri! Grýla is a very bad and grim troll, and she eats badly behaved children, she comes to pick them up, puts them in her sack and then cooks them in her cauldron. 

I always have my photo taken with these 2 trolls when I visit Akureyri :) And I do believe that most visitors have their photo taken with Grýla and Leppalúði, as they are a great photo opportunity.

Greeting Grýla and Leppalúði in Akureyri

I have written another travel-blog especially about these two trolls and the Yule Lads if you want to know more about them.

You will find a Christmas house in Eyjafjörður fjord, only some 14 km away from Akureyri, which is open all year. There one can also meet Grýla. She sits there hidden away in a cave and is even scarier looking than the one in the centre of Akureyri.

The Christmas House

The Christmas house is open all year round and it is kind of strange, but fun, to visit a Christmas house in the middle of the summer. I have visited it on several occasions wearing a T-shirt in 20 degrees C and sunshine :)

At the Christmas house, you can buy all kinds of Christmas decorations and Christmas candy, visit the Well of the Unborn Children and the boutique where I stock up on yummy hard candy, which I cannot buy anywhere else ;) And get some beautiful photos. See also:

Eyjafjörður Fjord in North-Iceland - The Christmas House is open all Year-round

Friðbjarnarhús museum - a museum of old toys

I have only touched on a small part of Akureyri, there is so much more. It has got many lovely museums and beautiful, colourful houses, a myriad of shops, supermarkets and restaurants and interesting things to see and do. In my photo above you will see Friðbjarnarhús toy museum with old toys on display.

Nonnahús and Nonni

Beautiful Nonnahús

Another old house is well worth a visit - Nonnahús, which has been a museum since 1957. Nonni, Jón Sveinsson (1857-1944), was one of Akureyri's most beloved sons and the honorary citizen of Akureyri. Nonnahús was built in 1850, which makes it one of the oldest houses in Akureyri.

At the museum, you will get acquainted with the little Icelandic boy, who got the opportunity to study in France and became a Jesuit priest. He wrote 12 books in German about his life, which have been translated into 40 languages.

The Nonni statue by Nonnahús - and Minjakirkjan

When I visit Akureyri I always go greet the big statue of Nonni - but Nonni has a place in the heart of at least the older generation in Iceland, who grew up reading the books he wrote.

See also:

Nonnahús & Nonni - the Honorary Citizen of Akureyri

Snowwhite and the 7 dwarfs

Hidden away in a private backyard in Akureyri you will find a fairytale world. It is a garden filled with colourful fairytale figures, created by the owner of the house, the folk artist Hreinn. It is such a delight visiting this garden.

Here you will find both widely-known fairytale figures as Snowwhite and Cinderella and figures from Icelandic fairytales.

Pippi Longstockings

I have written a special travel-blog about these fairytale figures with a lot of photos. I am sure you will recognise many of these figures from fairytales you have read as a child:

Wonderfully Colourful Fairytale Figures in Akureyri in North-Iceland

Hof

My photo above is of Hof, Akureyri's Cultural and Conference Centre, where you will also find an information center.

Hof was opened in 2010 and has now become one of Akureyri's most prominent buildings and a landmark together with Akureyrarkirkja church. It serves as the Cultural and Conference center for the whole of North Iceland.

It is such a delight visiting Akureyri, and I always look forward to it :) You can rent a car in Reykjavík and drive to Akureyri in one day - it is some 388 km, depending on where you leave from in the capital city.

Beautiful Akureyri town

I have joined many guided tours from Akureyri and written travel-blogs about my experience:

The Spectacular Diamond Circle in North-Iceland 

An Amazing Tour to Askja and Holuhraun Lava Field in the Highlands of Iceland

The Extraordinary Ice Sculptures in Lofthellir Cave in Mývatn North-Iceland

The Whale watching boat from Akureyri

A Fantastic Tour from Reykjavík to Akureyri including Hveravellir and Mt. Kerlingarfjöll

A Unique Lava Walk through the Colourful Lava Field at Gjástykki

Humpback Whales in Abundance on a fantastic Whale Watching Tour from Akureyri

This is part VI in my series of travel-blogs on Eyjafjörður fjord - join me on an exploration of North-Iceland's longest fjord with some detours:

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 Historical 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

Eyjafjörður fjord up North - part VIII - Historical Churches in the Mouth of the Fjord

Have a lovely time in Akureyri :)