Highlights of Reykjavík

Highlights of Reykjavík

Esjan

If you stand in the city center and look out over the ocean, the mountain on the other side of the fjord is called Esjan Not only is it very pretty, as well as helpful when you need to know which direction is north, it’s also a popular hiking spot for Reykjavík locals. The most popular route is straight up the well-worn path from the visitor’s center towards the landmark rocj, cleverly known as Steinn (in English – Rock). This hike should take about an hour each way for experienced hikers.

The Sun Voyager

A beautiful sculptre in the image of a Viking ship located by the ocean on a small peninsula by Saebraut, close to the Reykjavík center. The sculpture, by Jon Gunnar Arnason, symbolises the Viking past of the Icelanders and is an ode to the sun. It serves as a reminder of the history of Iceland and heritage when the first Viking settlers came sailing to Iceland. An ideal opportunity to see Solfarid is when the sun is setting.

Hallgrimskirkja

The majestic church is one of Reykjavík’s ost iconic buildings and is visible from almost anywhere in the city. The tower of the church is among the city’s highest buildings and offers a fantastic view of the city. It’s named after the Icelandic poet and clergyman Hallgrimur Petursson, author of the Passion Hymns. The architect, Gudjon Samuelsson, designed the church to resemble the basalt columns of Iceland’s landscape.

Perlan

Perlan is one or Reykjavík’s most striking buildings, buit on the hot water reserve tanks for the city. It’s a stand-out piece of architecture for its moder construction. On the fourth level is a 360 degrees viewing platrform where you can get the best panoramic views of Reykjavík and when the sun sets, it’s a spectacular spot for the Northern Lights. Surrounding Perlan in the Öskjuhlid recreationa area, perfect for a walk on a sunny day.

Reykjavík City Hall

The building, with its impressive modern design, was completed in 1992 and sits on the north shore of Lake Tjornin, its houses offices for the mayor and city’s executive officials and is also open to visitors. The reception area features exhibition halls, where exhibitions, fairs, and cultural events take place, as well as the city’s official tourist information center. The three-dimensional map of Iceland is always a favorite with visitors to the country.

Hallgrimskirkja. The most visible of the highlights. Photo by Olga.

The Old Harbor

The descriptive name comes from the fact that it’s the first lasting harbor in Reykjavík. The most visited area is the eastern pier where you’ll find a community of shops, galleries, electric bike and scooter rentals, and whale watching companies. Ever since the Reykjavík fishing industry moved to the new harbor, the area is filled with excellent restaurants and coffee houses, shops, galleries and museums.

Videy Island

Videy Island lies off the coast of Reykjavík and can be reached by ferry. It was inhabited for the larger part of Iceland’s history and has a rich historical background. Other attractions include impressive works of art, such as the Imagine Peace Tower by Yoko Ono and Richard Serra’s Milestones. With an extensive network of trails and a population of resident horses, the island can be explored both on foot and by horseback.

Harpa

Iceland’s biggest concert hall, suitable for a broad range of concerts and cultural events,. Looking out over the Reykjavík harbor and glorious mount Esjan on the other side, Harpa also hosts promotions, plays and public events. If you haven’t got a ticket for a show, you can still stop by the restaurants and shops in the building. The attention-grabbing honeycomb façade was designed by Olafur Eliasson, a Danish artist of Icelandic descent.

Tjörnin – The Pond

The heart of Reykjavík. People go to the pond to feed the birds and enjoy one of the most amazing views in Reykjavík. A walk in the adjoining park, Hljomskalagardur is deligthful on a sunny summer’s day. The lake freezes over in winter, although hot geothermal water is pumped there to defrost an area for the birds. You you’ve bought your skates, skating on lake Tjörnin is a popular passtime, especially, when the city is adorned with Christmas lights.

Höfdi House

Höfdi House, built in 1909, is one of the most beautiful and historically significant buildings in the Reykjavík area. Originally built as a French embassy Höfdi is today best known as the location for the 1986 summit meeting of presidents Ronald Reagan and Mikchail Gorbachev, a historical event that effectively marked the end of the Cold war. During this meeting images of the house were broadcast all over the world.

Imagine Peace Tower

Yoko Ono dedicated the Imagine Peace Tower to her husband, John Lennon. The work of art is in the form of a wishing well emitting a powerful beam of light. The tower of light is composed of individual lights that together form a single beam. The strength, inmensity and brilliance of the light tower continually change as particles of the air fluctuate with the changing weather and atmospheric conditions. The beam is visible from all over Reykjavík.

Laugardalslaug

Thank to Iceland’s abundance of geothermal heat, Icelanders’ favorite passtime is going swimming. Every town has at least one thermal pool and Laugardalslaug is Reykjavík largest one, located in Laugardalur Valley. Its facilities include a 50 m outdorr pool, outdoor children’s pool and paddling pool, waterslides, numberous hot tubs, steam bath, gym and mini golf course. There really is no better place to be on a sunny day (or even a cold one for that matter).

Nautholsvik

The golden-sanded geothermal beach at Nautholsvik in Reykjavík is a little piece of paradise, opened in 2001 to the delight of residents and tourists alike. The creation of the geothermal beach was an ambitious but successful project involving the construction of a lagoon with large sea walls, where cold sea and hot geothermal water blend together to ensure a comfortable water temperature.

Laugardalur

Laugardaur is a charming neighbourhood containing a youth hostel, a campsite, and the largest outdoor thermal pool in Reykjavík, Laugardalslaug. There’s also a skating hall and a family park/petting zoo, making it perfect for a family day out. Laugardalgur also boasts a beautiful botanic garden featuring an impressive selection of arctic flowers and plants as well as a lovely café.

Soley: Wild Icelandic birch is one of the special ingredients in all skincare products manufactured in Iceland. Every summer, when the birch is at its best. People harvest is from a certified organic patch of wilderness in Southern Iceland. To Soley’s ancestors, plants and herbs are precious and powerful.

Saegreifinn restaurant (Sea Baron) is like none other in Iceland; a world famous lobster soup and a diverse fish selection