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Reykjavik Travel
Guide
Iceland's capital is different from other European cities. It is the
world's northernmost capital, and one of the newest, having
established itself only in the late 19th century.Reykjavík offers
all the pleasures of a modern European city and additionally an
interesting old town, white-washed wooden buildings, and lines of
brightly painted concrete houses. Almost all places of interest are
within a walking distance of the old settlement.
The Old Town is centered around the Tjörnin, a small pond on whose
shores, Ingólfur Arnarson, founded the original settlement in 874.
It is here where both the Town Hall and Alþing, or National
Assembly, is located. Contemporary Reykjavík starts east of the Old
Town, and features the shopping high street, Laugavegur, and
Hallgrímskirkja, an imposing church resembling a chunk of volcanic
basalt. The tower of the church is the city's most noticeable
structure. Begun in the late 1940s and completed in 1974, the church
is named after Iceland's best-known poet, Hallgrímur Pétursson. You
can wander its stark, light-filled interior, then take a lift to the
top of a 75m-high (246ft) tower which offers superb views of the
city. On the lawn is a statue of Leifur Eríksson, triumphantly
identified as the 'Son of Iceland, Discoverer of Vinland' (believed
to be Newfoundland or Labrador).
Anybody interested in Norse and Icelandic culture should head for
the National Museum, which houses objects of religious and folk
relics, and tools dating from the period of Settlement. The most
renowned is a church door, carved around 1200, which depicts a Norse
battle scene, while residing in the basement are nautical and
agricultural tools and models of early fishing boats and ingenious
farm implements. Immediately behind the museum is the Árni Magnússon
Institute, a must-see for Saga fans with a famous collection of
works, including the Landnámabók and Njáls Saga.
Budget accommodation, cheap eats and bargain shopping are found in
the Old Town area of Reykjavik. For entertainment, there is cinema,
cultural performances and light shows (sagas, Settlement and Viking
extravaganzas)and also "Runtur", which is a Northern equivalent of
pub crawling!
Source:
world66.com
Things
To Do and See in Reykjavik
Golden Circle Route, Reykjavik
Ideal for short-stay visitors, this scenic driving route through
southwestern Iceland features excellent scenery and major sites.
Attraction type: Scenic drive; Tour
Hallgrimur's
Church (Hallgrimskirkja), Reykjavik
Attraction type: Religious site
Laugardalur Park,
Reykjavik
Attraction type: Park
Saga Museum,
Reykjavik
This museum focuses on the early history of Iceland.
Attraction type: History museum
National Museum of
Iceland, Reykjavik
Attraction type: History museum
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