Dómkirkjan Travel Guide

The small and charming Domkirkja church is the mother church for Lutheranism in Iceland. It holds a special place in the lives of Icelandic people and boasts a rich cultural history.

Visit this fantastic church on a tour of Reykjavik city.

Photo from Wikimedia, Creative Commons, by JuTa. No edits made.

Originally built in the 18th century on the neoclassical design of Andreas Kirkerup, the cathedral sits in Reykjavik’s main public square: Austurvollur, next to Parliament House. While being placed in a prominent position in the city, the Cathedral also boasts several accolades. 

Domkirkja is the seat of the Bishop of Iceland, the central Lutheran church in Iceland, and the central parish church for Reykjavik and it’s surrounding areas. The cathedral is the place where services are held before the opening of the Icelandic National Parliament and the inauguration of the Icelandic President. 

From the church, the Dean leads parliamentary members to Parliament House next door. This has been a tradition since the parliament (the Alþingi) was resurrected in 1845.

Photo from Wikimedia, Creative Commons, by Wolfgang Sauber. No edits made.

In the minds of the people, the church and Parliament are closely connected and their closeness is symbolic of the unbroken connection between the laws and traditions of the land. Therefore, Domkirkja church has taken up a central position in the lives of Icelandic people.

Domkirkja literally translates to ‘cathedral’. It was the first building built with the knowledge that Reykjavik would become a capital city. As an evangelical Lutheran church

The church is also host to a beautiful organ, originally built in Berlin, which boasts thirty-one voices and three manuals. The church of the evangelical opens its doors for public services every week.