Old clinker-built boats in the Breiðafjörður style and the traditional use of eiderdown give Reykhólar a maritime cultural connection. Added to these are a monument to the poet Jón Thoroddsen, who was born there, and habitats for a diverse birdlife. If you choose your stay based on cultural and natural interests, you’ll find a variety of highlights here.
Boats, natural resources and local history
The Báta- og hlunnindasýningin in Reykhólar features eider ducks and provides information about old clinker-built boats in the Breiðafjörður style. The basement houses the machine collection of Þórhallur Matthíasson from Litlabær in Skötufjörður. The exhibition thus brings together natural resources and the technical side of the boatbuilding tradition.
The Boat and Gift-of-Nature Museum explains how residents traditionally made use of the rich natural resources of Breiðafjörður. The practices presented include egg gathering, bird hunting, eiderdown harvesting, the use of seaweed and seal hunting for subsistence. The museum workshop displays wooden boats with Nordic design and craft features adapted to the region’s seafaring. The museum thus connects coastal resource use with maritime crafts.
The museum shop offers regional products, baked goods, coffee, tea, books and souvenirs; the selection may change. The Reykhólar District Information Office is in the same building as the boat and natural resources exhibition and Bátakaffi.
Local history can also be experienced through tangible memorial sites. The monument to Jón Thoroddsen stands on the old town and settlement mound on the slope between Reykhólakirkja and the Barmahlíð nursing home. The poet was born in Reykhólar in 1818. The monument thus reflects the town’s direct connection to his life.
Reykhólakirkja contains the gravestone of District Commissioner Magnús Arason (1599–1655) and an altarpiece from 1834 by Lövener. Jón Thoroddsen bought the painting in Denmark at his mother’s request for the church. A monument to a poet in town and historical artefacts in the church reveal different facets of local history.
Coastal scenery and activities
Shallow coastal waters, tidal flats, wetlands, marshes and cliffs near Reykhólar provide habitats for an unusually diverse birdlife. Reykhólar is considered a good base for birdwatching. Those interested in this side of the town can also take in the different types of landscape that provide habitat for the birds.
Boat trips to the islands of Breiðafjörður are available from Reykhólar. Check in advance which dates work for your trip. There are numerous hiking trails in the surrounding area. Hellishólar in Reykhólar also has a Roundscope and disc golf course. The town’s swimming pool is called Grettislaug and is named after Grettir the Strong.
The seaweed baths in Reykhólar are rooted in centuries-old local traditions, in which seaweed, coastal resources and geothermal water were used for relaxation and foot baths. Alongside the birdlife and islands, the historic use of coastal resources therefore offers another theme to explore.
Plan your visit
The exhibition is scheduled to open seasonally: daily from 1 June to 30 August, from 11 am to 6 pm; in winter, visits are available by appointment. Check the opening times before you arrive. This will help you plan your visit to the exhibition around the other cultural or natural interests you have during your stay.
Discover more destinations: Suðureyri, Holt, Thingeyri, Sæból, Bíldudalur, Látur, Árnes, Hagi
Return to the main travel overview: Westfjords.
