Kopavogur

Kopavogur

Kopavogur is Iceland’s second largest municipality. Just a stone’s throw from the centre of Reykjavík, the town boasts a number of remarkable sights and building including a modern dome-shaped church, a recital hall, a modern art museum and a natural history museum. Kopavogur is the perfect destination if you’re in the mood to get in touch with nature and we recommend taking some time to experience the coastal ecosystem and birdlife. After a long day of exploring, a visit to one of the capital area’s best swimming pools is the perfect way to relax.

Culture

Kapavogur’s Culture Houses are a collection of institutions dedicated to art and culture, conveniently located in a cluster of buildings at Hamraborg 4 – 6.

The Kopavogur Art Museum, Gerdarsafn, is a progressive museum focusing mostly on modern and contemporary art. The museum offers temporary exhibitions with works by Icelandic and international contemporary artists as well as displaying works from the museum’s collection.

The exhibitions are generally inspired by the museum’s status as the only Icelandic museum built in honour of a female artist, Gerdur Helgadottir (1928 – 1975). Gerdur Helgadottir was a pioneer of three-dimensional abstract art and glass art in Iceland and the museum collection holds over fourteen hundred works by Gerdur. Address: Gerdarsafn Art Museum Hamraborg 4.

Next door to the art museum is the Kopavogur Public Library. The library has an extensive selection of books and magazines, in English as well as Icelandic.

Salurinn Concert Hall was the first concert hall in Iceland to be specifically designed with regards to acoustics. It hosts all kinds of concerts.

The Natural History Museum hosts exhibitions, with an emphasis on geology and Icelandci wildlife, including the arctic fox and numerous species of fish and birds. It also has an “extraordinary” (ad described by David Attenborough, when he visited in 2005) exhibition of Japanese style Marimo lake balls. Science fans will also want to check out the Borgarholt coastal preserve just a short walk away. Address: Natural History Museum, Hamraborg 6A.

Black Beach, the sand is black because of volcano eruptions.

Health and Lifestyle

The Kopavogur swimming pool is well worth a visit. It’s a great place for young families, with an outdoor swimming pool, several hot tubs and a sauna. There is also a Nautilus gym on the grounds. Address : Borgarholtsbraut 17.

Another great place to make a splash is the Versalir thermal pool and gym. As one of the newst facilities in the capital area, it’s well worth a visit. If you’d rather work up a sweat, you could visit the Nautilus gym onsite. Address : Versalir Thermal Pool and Gym, Versölum 3.

In addition to the great facilities Kopavogur has to offer, the town is also rich in green areas, walking paths and bicycle paths, perfect for a day out in nature. Whether you feel like having a day out in nature, taking in some art and culture, going swimming, shopping or to the gym, Kopavogur is the perfect destination.

The Hamraborg area is serviced by buses no, 1,2 and 4.