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Landbrotshólar
West of the village and south of the Ring Road is a vast, dimpled, vivid-green pseudocrater field known as Landbrotshólar. It was formed during the Laki eruptions of 1783, when lava poured over marshland and fast-evaporating steam exploded through to make these barrow-like mounds.
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Systrastapi
Religious connections are particularly strong in this area. The prominent rock pillar Systrastapi (Sisters’ Pillar), near the line of cliffs about 1.5km west of town, marks the spot where two nuns were reputedly executed and buried for sleeping with the devil and other such no-nos.
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Eldhraun
The lava field along Mývatn’s northern lakeshore includes the flow that nearly engulfed the Reykjahlíð church. It was belched out of Leirhnjúkur during the Mývatn Fires in 1729, and flowed down the channel Eldá. With some slow scrambling, it can be explored on foot from Reykjahlíð.
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Saurbær
The church at the Saurbær farmstead, further along, is worth a look for its beautiful stained-glass work by Gerður Helgadóttir. It is named for Reverend Hallgrímur Pétursson, who served here from 1651 to 1669, and composed Iceland’s most popular religious work, 50 Passion Hymns.
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Fagrifoss
Fagrifoss (Beautiful Falls) is not a misnomer: this waterfall must be one of Iceland’s most bewitching, with rivulets of water pouring over a massive black rock. You’ll come to the turn-off on the way to Laki, about 24km along the F206. Tours to Lakagígar invariably stop here.
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Dómkirkja
Iceland’s main cathedral, Dómkirkja is a modest affair, but it played a vital role in the country’s conversion to Lutheranism. The current building (built in the 18th century and enlarged in 1848) is small and perfectly proportioned, with a plain wooden interior animated by glints
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Orkusýn
Seventeen kilometres west of Hveragerði, just north of the Ring Road, youll see the sleek shell of Hellisheiði Geothermal Power Plant, one of the few that provide 25% of Icelands electricity. Orkusýn, a multimedia exhibition, lays out the details of harnessing the earths hot-water
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Minjasafn Egils Ólafssonar Museum
In Hnjótur, about 10km west of Sauðlauksdalur, it’s worth stopping at Minjasafn Egils Ólafssonar Museum. The eclectic collection includes salvaged fishing boats and displays on regional history from whaling and farming to 1947 footage of a trawler wreck. There’s a basic cafe (snack
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Old Boathouse
The interesting Old Boathouse was largely abandoned until the owners of Mjóeyri took it over in 2009. When they entered the building they found that not a soul had been inside for the last 80 years. And they decided to leave it that way – when you enter the boathouse you’re literal
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Gerðarsafn Art Museum
Next door to Kópavogurs concert hall, this beautifully designed museum dedicated to Icelandic stained glass artist and sculptor Gerður Helgadóttir hosts excellent rotating modern-art exhibitions, and has a notable permanent collection of 20th-century Icelandic art. Its small cafe h
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Icelandic Museum of Rock n Roll
This new museum delves into the history of the awesome Icelandic music scene: from Björk to Sigur Rós and Of Monsters and Men. Admission includes an audioguide with music. Theres also the Music Hall of Fame, instruments for you to jam on, a cafe, and a shop where you can stock up o
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Cinema at Old Harbour Village No 2
A tiny theatre perches in the top of one of the rehabbed Old Harbour warehouses. Nature films include volcanoes (Hekla, Eyjafjallajökull, Westmann Islands), the creation of Iceland, þingvellir and the Northern Lights, and are mostly shown in English with occasional German screening
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Kjarnaskógur
About 3km south of town is Iceland’s most visited ‘forest’, the Kjarnaskógur woods. This bushland area has walking and mountain-bike trails, picnic areas and barbecues, and kids playgrounds. In winter, the area is good for cross-country skiing. The campground at Hamrar has easy acc
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Viti
The dirt-brown crater of Víti reveals a secret when you reach its rim – a green pool of floodwater at its heart. The 300m-wide explosion crater was created in 1724 at the beginning of the destructive Mývatn Fires. There is a circular path around the rim of Viti to the geothermal ar
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Töfragarðurinn Stokkseyri
Tots will love this supercute family park. Sweet baby animals – Arctic foxes, puppies, piglets, rabbits, lambs and goats – frolic in ridiculously green enclosures. There’s also a big climbing frame, a bouncy castle and a cafe. It’s only titchy, but it’s infinitely nice. It is signp
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Húsið á Eyrarbakka
One of Iceland’s oldest houses, built by Danish traders in 1765, Húsið á Eyrarbakka has glass display cabinets explaining the town’s history, rooms restored with original furniture, and a stuffed bird collection. Keep an eye out for Ólöf Sveinsdóttir’s shawl, hat and cuffs, knitted
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Museum Centre
Akranes sprawling Museum Centre is full of nautical relics, crystals, fossils and tales of local sporting heroes. The folk museum wing displays antiques like an old car and fishing apparel. Outside, there’s a restored boathouse, a drying shed, a church and several fishing boats, in
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Þingvellir Visitors Centre
At the top of the Almannagjá rift is a simple visitors ventre with a video on the area’s nature and history, and a shop. The small adjacent boardwalk offers great valley views. At the time of research an expansion was underway. Toilets cost Ikr200. You can park here and walk down,
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Keldur
About 5km west of Hvolsvöllur, unsurfaced Rte 264 winds about 8km north along the Rangárvellir valley to the medieval turf-roofed farm at Keldur. This historic settlement once belonged to Ingjaldur Höskuldsson, a character in Njál’s Saga . The structure is managed by the National M
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Library of Water
For relaxing views of town and bay, head up the hill to the Library of Water. This window-lined space showcases an installation by American artist Roni Horn (1955–). Light reflects and refracts through 24 glass pillars filled with Icelandic glacier water. Theres also a chess set, i
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