Reykjavik — The Chill Capital of Iceland (Part 1)

Reykjavik will have you at “Halló”! The city is a pure blend of poetry, quirkiness and friendliness. Some say that the capital city of Iceland is so compact, that one can explore Reykjavik in just half a day. Not true! There is much more to Reykjavik than one might think. This seaside city is a wonderful destination for solo travelers, couples and families alike.

The site of the original settlement is believed to be founded by Vikings around A.D. 874 and named Reykjavik, meaning “Smokey Bay”, because of the thermal springs abundant in the area. The actual town and trading post was established only in the 18^th century. Today, approximately 122,000 people live in Reykjavik, which is about a third of the total population of Iceland.

So what are some fun things to do in Reykjavik?

Street Art

Is there any better way to discover the layout of the city than a stroll through its streets? How about a stroll with a purpose? A visit to Reykjavik must include a self-guided tour of its street art. The “Wall Poetry” art project started in 2015, the result of collaboration of an annual Iceland Airwaves Music Festival and Urban Nation Museum from Berlin, Germany. There are a lot of commissioned and ‘non-commissioned’ murals, independent of this project, as well.

We wish we’ve realized prior to our visit to Reykjavik that there are some handy street art maps available online, like this one, but we happened to stumble upon some of art pieces by pure chance.

The Culture House

The Culture House Museum (Safnahúsið) is located on Hverfisgata, the oldest street in Reykjavik. If you are after unique experiences – this is definitely the place for you. Seriously. If unusual manuscripts, emotive paintings, stunning art pieces and unique artifacts rock your boat – do not miss it!

The museum houses an impressive collection of manuscripts, including the Colic Leaf, the manuscript from the early 17^th century, describing an exorcism to cure a patient of colic and gout. The Elf’s Woman Cloth, one of very few artifacts in existence claiming to have been made by the Hidden People. And, a highly detailed 16^th century map of Iceland that also depicts some mythological creatures swimming in the waters around the island, with a description of each one on the back of the map. In 2009, some of them were featured on postal stamps! Scary to think these creatures may have existed. Or still DO!

Another unique artifact in the museum’s collection: The ornate wreath that you see around the portrait of a young man is woven entirely from human hair! A little creepy, but very interesting.

You can easily get lost in the museum for a good couple of hours, seeing different points of views on life, past and present. A ticket to The Culture House also includes admission to the National Museum of Iceland (unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to visit it ☹).

The Bay and the Harbor

A beautiful walk along the Bay will provide ample opportunities for photos, sculpture exhibitions, and unexpected historic landmarks.

We ran into this peculiar anchor sculpture that actually has the identical twin in South Florida! The Partnership sculptures were erected to commemorate 50 years of diplomatic relationships between Iceland and the US. The two sculptures are linked by “the endless flow of Atlantic Ocean Gulf Stream”.

Did you know that the Cold War officially ended in Reykjavik? Well, sort of. In 1986 The Reykjavik Summit was happening in this unassuming building, hotel Höfði, and a series of the negotiations between the US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet Union’s Secretary of State Michael Gorbachev were held. The summit has become a catalyst to the signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty a year later.

The Icelandic Punk Museum

Speaking of the Reagan era, this fun little museum is not something you’d expect to see while walking around town. The Icelandic Punk Museum is hidden in a former underground public restroom. How awesome is that? It’s worth checking out if you run across it (hint: it’s located at Bankastræti 2, near downtown Reykjavik). It officially opened in 2016, by John Lydon (a.k.a. Johnny Rotten) of the iconic punk band, the Sex Pistols. The museum exhibits a fascinating glimpse into the history of the Icelandic rebellious movement and its music. So if you’re the curious and musically open-minded type, this is a great place to add to your “visit list”!

Hallgrímskirkja

Hallgrímskirkja is a wondrous architectural marvel of a church, named after the 17^th century Icelandic minister and poet Hallgrimur Pettursson, author of the popular Passion Hymns. If you have difficulty pronouncing the name of the church – just divide it into 2 parts – Hallgrims and kirkja (church), literally Hallgrimur’s Church.

The Hallgrimskirkja can be seen from almost any point in the city, since it was built on one of the tallest hills in Reykjavik. Being so high up, it serves as a communication tower as well. If you look close enough to the roof and steeple, you’ll see the antennas! A visit to the observation deck on top will provide some of the best views of the city below.

The Nordic minimalist design is preserved within the church, and the clean geometrical patterns inside and out make it standout from other churches you may have seen.

Clean. Straightforward. Until you turn around and see the largest craziest pipe organ we’ve ever seen! This HUMONGOUS 50-foot musical instrument is made of over 5000 pipes. Check Hallgrimskirkja’s site for the events before visiting. If you are lucky, you might catch a concert! 

We were honored to be shown a secret room of Hallgrimskirkja behind the organ with the unique stained-glass window, the beautiful colors of which can be only seen from this secret room!!! Here is the window from the outside, right above the main entrance:

And here is the stained-glass window from the inside. Pretty cool, right?

We’ve run out of time to explore more of Reykjavik, but hope you won’t! Saga Museum, Harpa, Whales of Iceland museum, local thermal swimming pools, The Elf School — so many more great places to see. Just like we were saying, Reykjavik has so much more to offer than one might believe. Hope our experiences will help you too!

Comment below! We’d love to hear from you! Read Part 2 about our favorite restaurants, shops and a recommended hotel in Reykavik, and Part 3 about adventures outside of Reykjavik on the first trip to Iceland! Don’t forget to subscribe!