More than 400 buildings lie buried under lava from the 1973 eruption, and on the edge of the flow ‘Pompei of the North’ is a new musuem revolving around one house excavated from 50m of pumice, along what was formerly Suðurvegur. The modern volcanic-stone building allows a glimpse into the home with its crumbling walls and intact but toppled knick-knacks, and is filled with multimedia exhibits on the eruption and its aftermath, from compelling footage and eyewitness accounts to the homeowners' story.
An audioguide leads you through it all, and upstairs, there's a catwalk over the wreckage, a space dedicated to all things Surtsey, and a cafe with broad views across town.
