Siglufjörður offers different ways to explore its history and surroundings: the former Róaldsbrakki salt house and the Herring Era Museum’s Boat-House exhibition offer an insight into herring history, while the Folk Music Centre is dedicated to Icelandic folk music. Around the town, trails range from short walks to more challenging hikes. The Leirurnar at the innermost end of the fjord add tidal flats and birdlife to the picture. You can choose from historical exhibitions, seasonal nature watching, and trails through the landscape.
Herring History and Folk Music
Róaldsbrakki is the Herring Era Museum’s former four-story salt house. The Norwegian building was constructed in 1907, and most of it has been preserved in its original form. The Boat-House exhibition evokes a typical herring harbor around 1950. Nine boats of different types and sizes are moored at the pier; audiovisual materials cover herring fishing from 1938 onward. The dates refer to different things: the building’s construction in 1907, materials on herring fishing from 1938 onward, and the harbor scene depicted around 1950. If you would rather focus on music than fishing history, the Folk Music Centre has video recordings of people of all ages from across Iceland singing, performing, and playing traditional instruments. The cultural offerings also present different perspectives: Róaldsbrakki and the Boat-House exhibition convey the history of herring and the harbor, while the Folk Music Centre offers a broader musical perspective, featuring people from across Iceland.
Harbor and Brewery Tour
On a walk by the harbor, you can watch local fishermen at work on a fine summer day. Segull 67 offers a different kind of insight: brewery tours take you behind the scenes and let you sample its products. Up to 100 people can take part; check tour availability in advance.
Birdlife and Hiking Trails
The Leirurnar, the tidal flats at the innermost end of the Siglufjörður fjord, are home to the area’s most diverse birdlife. Larger colonies of Arctic terns and eider ducks have been found on both sides of the fjord there since around 1980. Numbers and nesting patterns can vary seasonally. Hvanneyrarskál, between Hvanneyrarhnjúk and Hafnarhyrna, offers a different landscape: the valley floor of the bowl lies about 200 meters above sea level. A walkable path leads from the avalanche protection structures up to Hvanneyrarskál; trail conditions may vary. There are numerous hiking trails around Siglufjörður, ranging from short walks through town to more challenging hikes. The surrounding area also features a planted forest on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, with a small waterfall, as a destination for an outing.
More Things to Do in Town
Siglufjörður also has an indoor swimming pool. It offers a different focus from the outdoor trails and nature destinations, adding another facility in town to the list of options.
Discover more destinations: Hauganes, Akureyri, Hrisey, Svalbard, Sauðárkrókur, Miðgarðar, Svalbarðseyri, Hallbjarnarstaðir.
For the broader travel overview: Nordurland Eystra.
