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Austurvöllur
Grassy Austurvöllur was once part of first-settler Ingólfur Arnarson’s hay fields. Today it’s a favourite spot for cafe lounging or lunchtime picnics and summer sunbathing next to the Alþingi, and is sometimes used for open-air concerts and political demonstrations. The statue in t
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Ingjaldsandur
After Hótel Núpur, Rte 624 passes an abandoned farmhouse before swerving inland to head over the top of the rugged peninsula. It takes about 20 minutes to reach Ingjaldsandur at the mouth of Önundarfjörður. Set in a picturesque valley, this isolated beach is a fantastic spot to wat
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Landlyst
A shocking 80% of Heimaey’s babies once died at birth, until in the 1840s an island woman, Sólveig, was sent abroad to be trained as a midwife. The tiny wooden house Landlyst was Sólveig’s maternity hospital (and is the second oldest building on the island). Today it contains a sma
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Deildartunguhver
Find Europe’s biggest hot spring, Deildartunguhver, about 5km west of Reykholt, just off Rte 518. Look for billowing clouds of steam, which rise from scalding water bubbling from the ground (180L per second and 100°C!). A take-and-pay tomato stall is usually set up in the parking l
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Exploration Museum
Newly opened in 2014, this museum salutes the history of human exploration, covering Viking voyages and polar expeditions (and has a cool 1952 snowcat parked out front). Its most unique exhibition focuses on the Apollo astronauts in Iceland in the 1960s, receiving geology training
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Kirkjugólf
The basalt columns of Kirkjugólf (Church Floor), smoothed down and cemented with moss, were once mistaken for an old church floor rather than a work of nature, and it’s easy to see why. The honeycombed slab lies in a field about 400m northwest of the N1 petrol station: a path leads
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Krafla Power Station
The idea of constructing a geothermal power station at Krafla was conceived in 1973, and preliminary work commenced with the drilling of holes to determine project feasibility. In 1975, however, after a long rest period, the Krafla fissure burst into activity. The project went ahea
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Foss á Siðu & Dverghamrar
Foss á Siðu, 11km east of Kirkjubæjarklaustur, is a head-turning waterfall that normally tumbles down from the cliffs. During especially strong sea winds, however, it actually goes straight up! Opposite the falls is the outcrop Dverghamrar (‘Dwarf Rocks’), which contains classic ba
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Jón Sigurðsson Memorial Museum
Rutted Rte 60 joins the southern reaches of the Þingeyri Peninsula at farmstead Hrafnseyri, the birthplace (on 17 June 1811) of Jón Sigurðsson, the architect of Iceland’s independence. The interesting, modern Jón Sigurðsson Memorial Museum outlines his life and has a reconstruction
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Grjótagjá
Game of Thrones fans may recognise it as the place where John Snow is deflowered by Ygritte. Grjótagjá is a gaping fissure with a 45°C water-filled cave. Its on private property – its prohibited to bathe here, but the owners allow the public to visit and photograph. It’s a beautifu
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Sheep Farming Museum
The long drive from Staðarskáli (formerly Brú) to Hólmavík is pleasantly pastoral, with rolling hills dotted by small farmhouses and lonely churches. The small Sheep Farming Museum, 12km south of Hólmavík, details the region’s farming history through photos and artefacts. Chessboar
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Hlíðarfjall
If youre hiking directly to Krafla from Mývatn’s northern crest, you’ll pass the prominent 771m-high rhyolite mountain Hlíðarfjall (also called Reykjahlíðarfjall), just before the halfway mark. Around 5km from Reykjahlíð, the mount can also be enjoyed as a pleasant day hike from th
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Eyjafjallajökull Visitor Centre
This centre, about 7km before Skógar, is on a farm on the southern flanks of Eyjafjallajökull which was impacted by the 2010 eruption. A 20-minute film (usually in English) tells the familys story, from the ominous warnings to the devastating aftermath of the flooding ash. Movie sn
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Vatnajökull National Park
Vatnajökull National Park is the largest national park in all of Europe and covers roughly 13% of Iceland. It was founded in 2008 by uniting two previously established national parks: Skaftafell in southeast Iceland and Jökulsárgljúfur further north. The park protects the entirety
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Culture House
At the time of writing this museum was being reimagined as a collaboration between the National Museum, National Gallery and four other organisations as a study of the artistic heritage of Iceland from Settlement to today. Slated to open by early 2015.
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Eyjan
From Karl og Kerling you can return to Vesturdalur by walking a 7km trail around Eyjan, a mesa-like ‘island’ covered with low, scrubby forests and small ponds. Follow the river south to Kallbjarg, then turn west along the track to the abandoned site of Svínadalur, where the canyon
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Langjökull
Southeast of Húsafell, the absolutely incredible Kaldidalur valley skirts the edge of a series of glaciers, offering great views of the Langjökull ice cap and, in clear weather, Eiríksjökull, Okjökull and Þórisjökull. Ice Explorer Tours are available on Langjökull, departing from R
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Árbæjarsafn
About twenty quaint old buildings have been transported from their original sites to open-air Árbæjarsafn, 4km east of the city centre beyond Laugardalur. Alongside 19th-century homes are a turf-roofed church and various stables, smithies, barns and boathouses – all very picturesqu
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French Hospital
The full story about the French seamen in Fáskrúðsfjörður can be found at Fosshotel Eastfjords, a smart new development inside the sensitively renovated former French hospital and other buildings from the era. In the hotel lobby, an excellent museum (adult/child Ikr1000/free) paint
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Kaupvangur
The town’s most significant building is Kaupvangur, a restored customhouse. You’ll find an excellent cafe and information centre on the ground floor. Upstairs there’s a well-curated exhibit about two locals, Iceland’s version of the Gershwin brothers. Also on the 2nd floor is a sma
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