Overview to Reykjavik: Travel Guide and Tourist Information
- Reykjavik Information
- Eating & drinking in Reykjavik
- Things to do in Reykjavik
- Where to stay in Reykjavik
- Reykjavik street map
Reykjavik combines contemporary chic with age-old traditions in one of the world's most unique landscapes. Lava fields, active volcanoes, glaciers and hot springs abound in Iceland and surround this colorful and trendy capital city.
Reykjavik’s center is its historic Old Town – an area that is, broadly speaking, a contrast to the rest of the brash modern city. Quaint houses with brightly painted roofs radiate out from the main square at Laekjartory, making for scenic strolling.
From there, the City Hall and accompanying sizable pond (Tjörin) are easily accessible by foot. Tjörin is a favorite among locals; people congregate here to chat and feed the varied wildlife living in and around the waters.
The area is also home to a couple of cultural highlights – the National Museum and the Culture House. Housed in a converted ice house, meanwhile, Iceland’s National Gallery makes for fascinating viewing with Icelandic painters exhibited alongside the odd Picasso and Munch.
Reykjavik is a place that really gets the adrenaline racing. With all that rugged scenery, you can try your hand at horse riding, whitewater rafting and dog-sledding. Or, for the animal lovers, a whale-watching trip is more than likely to reveal one of the sea’s most incredible spectacles.
Social life also revolves around the water. Instead of drinking in bars and taverns (which is somewhat expensive), they gather in the geo-thermally heated outdoor pools. Whatever the weather, the water is just as warm and welcoming as the bathers who fill it.
Reykjavik’s unusual relationship with daylight provides some additional novelty. There are few cities, after all, where you can party for up to 22 hours during summer without the sun going down. And there’s an eerie beauty to this ‘Midnight Sun’ that, for many, proves a real travel highlight.
