Facts About Iceland

Being an Icelandic fisherman on a trawler in rough weather

Do you ever think about what is necessary to do in order for you (us!) to be able to enjoy your fish burger, fish and chips or whatever? Sometimes life for Icelandic fishermen (and of course fishermen of many nations) can be quite rough. Take a look at this video of an Icelandic trawler in heavy sea and ugly weather...

 

... and another one taken of a fishing boate named Asta B. sailing towards the harbor of Grindavik in South Iceland. Grindavik has one of the most difficult and dangerous ports in the country. Things could have gone really bad here:

 

Christmas in Iceland - how is it like?

Get a glimpse of what Christmas in Iceland really is like. See Reykjavik in "Christmas clothes", the people enjoying the Advent and lots of interesting things!

 

 

Reykjavik Attractions: Hallgrimskirkja Church

Hallgrímskirkja – Hallgrimskirkja Church is easily the most recognizable attraction of Reykjavík  - the crowning glory.

It has a magnificent steeple of 73 m and you can easily see it from far away. It is the largest church in Iceland with a seat capacity of 1200 people. 

The construction started in 1945 and took about 40 years to finish. The church was inaugurated in 1986 (on October 26th). 

Hallgrimskirkja Church has the largest organ in Iceland from Johannes Klais in Germany (1992). 

The church is named after the reverend Hallgrimur Petursson, one of Iceland's most beloved religious poets who lived in the 17th century (1614-1674). His Hymns of the Passion have been read by generation after generation of Icelanders and you can hardly attend a funeral in Iceland without hearing a psalm by Hallgrimur at the end of the funeral service.

This is one of the places you definitely should visit! It is perfect for the traveler who wants to go up its tower (75 m) with an elevator and get a wonderful view of the surrounding area, the oldest part of Reykjavik.

Reykjavik City Museum - Arbaer Museum, some photos

Arbaer Museum is a wonderful outdoor museum which really is "a must see" for those visiting Reykjavik. You will see more than 20 old buildings forming a town square, a village and a farm. These are old houses which have mostly been relocated from the centre of Reykjavík.

  

You'll have a hard time beliving that you are actually in Reykjavik City instead of in the peaceful Icelandic countryside. Sheep, horses and cows can be seen among the old buildings.

 

The buildings in the museum are without a doubt some of the most beautiful buildings in Iceland.

 

Houses in Iceland were made of turf for many centuries. Can you imagine living in a turf house today?

 

Next photo is from the Árbær Church, a small and cosy church made of turf and timber. Many Icelanders like to get married there or to have their children baptised there.

  

 

Inside the Árbær Church, wooden benches and a very special atmosphere.

 

The old farm of Árbær. This is an orginial farm where people lived until in the 1950's. A beautiful building which you can explore inside.

 

 

Dillons House below. Don't miss the opportunity to sit down inside or outside and have a cup of hot chocolate or coffee with a delicious slice of cake.

 

A beautifully painted old timber house called Midhus.

 

And finally a house called Efstibaer.

Icelandic Women Rule....

Yes, indeed! Icelandic women are two thirds of all students graduating from universities in Iceland and they are also 52% of all students who graduate from the secondary level of education.

Note that the university graduates come from very different age groups which I think is very interesting. Our youngest female graduate in 2006 was 19 years old while our oldest was 75 years old.

See STATICE for more info.

Photo: Icelandic girls

Imagine Peace Tower in Videy, Iceland by Yoko Ono

On October 9, 2007 Iceland got a very special visit from Yoko Ono and her son Sean, Ringo Starr and George Harrison's widow Olivia. 

Yoko Ono unveiled her so called light tower on the island of Videy outside Reykjavik harbour. The title of her work is "Imagine Peace Tower" and in fact this day would have been John Lennon's 67th birthday

The tower will be lit every year from October 9 to December 8 (the day Lennon died) as well as on New year's Eve and the first week of spring. It is composed of a beam of light, coming from a very big wishing well which features the words "Imagine peace" in no less than 24 languages.

What's on in Iceland?

You have planned your trip to Iceland in a certain period and now you want to know what's on during your stay.

The best place to look is http://www.whatson.is where you'll get all kinds of information about events, exhibitions, concerts, shows etc.  You can check events one month ahead and download the latest issue in a pdf format.

Smoking Ban in Icelandic Restaurants from June 1st 2007

On June 1st 2007 new regulations took effect regarding smoking in Iceland. It it now prohibited to smoke in restaurants, cafés, clubs and bars everywhere in Iceland. This is thought to be an important advance in public health, tobacco control and occupational health in the country.

A recent opinion poll by the Icelandic newspaper Frettabladid indicated that almost 82 percent of participants were satisfied with the smoking ban.Of 800 people contacted, more than 90 percent participated in the poll.

More about this from Iceland Review: Majority satisfied with smoking ban in Iceland

Elves in Iceland - Icelanders Still Believe in Elves

Believe it or not - a significant portion of Icelanders still believe in the existence of elves and ghosts according to a recent study on superstition. The study was done in 2006 and 2007 by the University of Iceland's Faculty of Social Sciences and about 1000 people took part.

Elves possibly exist according to 37% of participants and only 13% deemed it impossible. More in Iceland Review magazine: Iceland Still Believes in Elves and Ghosts.

Photo from Reykjanes peninsula.

Iceland Festival: Yearly Festivals and Activities in Iceland

Here you’ll find an overview of the most important Iceland festivals. I might add that a lot of villages have their own yearly festivals by now, mostly during the summertime.

Photo: Reykjavik Marathon

February

• Festival of the light, Reykjavík – Visual exploration of light and darkness. Concerts, reading of ghost stories, parades and firework

April

• Reykjavík Art Festival – local and international theater, dance, music and visual arts.

June

• Sailors Day – on the first Sunday of June. Every ship in harbour, sailors having the day off. Competitions and festivities.
• Independence day – June 17th. National Day of Iceland celebrating independence from Denmark. Parades and festivities.
• Summer Solstice Festival – June 21st. Celebrations with authentic Viking clothing, instruments, jewellery, crafts, food and drinks.

August

• Bank holiday week-end – First week-end of August. Celebrations in many places of the country, with music, outdoor living and festivities.
• Unglist – Young Art Festival in Reykjavík, covering music, design, fashion, paintings, photography, theater etc.
• Reykjavík Marathon – Thousands of Icelanders and participants from abroad
• Gay Pride – Parades and parties bringing thousands of Icelanders to the Reykjavík City Center. Various entertainers, artists and bands.
• Cultural night – variety of activities such as traditional shows and exhibitions. Galleries, ateliers, cafés, shops, churches, restaurants and bars stay open until late.

September/October

• Reykjavík Film Festival
• Reykjavík Jazz Festival  - many acclaimed international jazz players along with leading Icelandic jazz musicians.

October

• Iceland Airwaves: International music festival, presenting the hottest new bands from USA, Europe and Iceland.

December

• New Year’s Eve – Celebrations, bonfires, spectacular fireworks