Places: Reykjavik, Iceland
The scoop…
Throw caution to the wind and go experience the magic of Iceland’s starkly beautiful and modern capital city of Reykjavik. Established in 874 AD by a Norseman it was the country’s first permanent settlement and holds a fascinating place in Iceland’s history. Reykjavik enjoys the honor of being a Unesco City of Literature as well as an EU Capital of Culture. This beautifully clean, green and ultra safe northern city is home to ~64% of the entire population of Iceland. It is the home to the largest church in Iceland (Hallgrimskirkja), to the Snaefellsnes glacier, and to the Althing, Iceland’s Parliament, the oldest surviving Parliament in the world dating back to 930.
Reykjavik has a devoted cultural embrace for the arts and music. It hosts many museums, galleries, exhibition spaces, sculptures, artisan crafts, beautiful street and building graffiti, opera, symphony, theater, cinemas and so on. Getting intrigued yet?
The food scene is diverse and eclectic ranging from delicious fresh options that street food provides to fine dining at any one of Reykjavik’s higher end options, and everything in between. Fresh fish and local lamb dishes are king here and french fries are the star! I cannot leave this topic without giving a big virtual hug to my personal Reykjavik favorite go to for the local atmosphere, delicious french fries and hard working, wonderful staff. The Duck and Rose on Austurstraeti 14. Don’t miss a chance to linger in this great local Bistro. Go and have a local beer with a plate of salted fries dusted with parmesan cheese. You will return!
The climate in Reykjavik is called subpolar oceanic, meaning it is classified temperate due to the Gulf Stream. In the city of Reykjavik you have coldish winters, (average temp of 40 degrees F), and just a few inches of snow. The summers are cool (average temp of 50/55 degrees F) and can be rainy on any given day. The annual rainfall in all of Iceland is 52 inches. I can personally attest to the fact that in one 24 hour period you can experience multiple weather changes from sun, rain, wind, clouds and clearing skies to beautiful rainbows. The Icelanders have a saying addressing this; “there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing”.
What about daylight? Sunrise and sunset are dictated by it’s very far off home in our northern hemisphere. Sometimes called the land of the midnight sun, as it enjoys a sun that barely sets in summer. It hardly gets dark at night in summer from May thru July, and conversely it will not get light in winter until noon with approximately 4 hours of total daylight. Yikes!
And what about the thermal heating system? Reykjavik has the world’s largest geothermal heating system. It uses natural hot water to heat the entire city! Geothermal heat comes directly from the earth’s core and arrives to the surface via cracks and fissures in the permeable rock of which Iceland sits upon. Iceland being a land of volcanos embraces this natural resource and through geothermal power and heating plants turn it into clean energy for all of Iceland. While talking about geothermal it would be a crime not to recommend a soak at one of the 17 thermal springs and geothermal pools open to the public in the Reykjavik area.
Hopefully I have given you at least a bit of yearning for a Reykjavik/Iceland visit. Checkout the stopover options offered by Iceland Air while on your way to other great European destinations. I know I will be back again to drink in the stark and stunning beauty of this extraordinary city and it’s wonderful people. Takk ísland!
