Gazing proudly into the distance outside Hallgrímskirkja church is a statue of the Viking Leifur Eiríksson, the first European to stumble across America. Designed by Alexander Stirling Calder (1870–1945), it was a present from the US on the 1000th anniversary of the Alþingi (Parliament) in 1930.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
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Reykjavík’s immense white-concrete church (1945–86), star of a thousand postcards, dominates the skyline and is visible from up to 20km away. An elevator…
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Artefacts from settlement to the modern age fill the creative display spaces of Iceland's superb National Museum. Exhibits give an excellent overview of…
27.24 MILES
Housed in an imaginatively restored warehouse by the harbour, the must-see Settlement Centre offers fascinating insights into the history of Icelandic…
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This fascinating archaeological ruin-museum is based around a 10th-century Viking longhouse unearthed here from 2001 to 2002 and other Settlement-Era…
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With its ever-changing facets glistening on the water's edge, Reykjavík’s sparkling Harpa concert hall and cultural centre is a beauty to behold. In…
Þingvellir National Park
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The world’s oldest parliament, Althingi (pronounced ál-thingk-ee; also called Alþing) was uniquely situated at this monumental site where two tectonic…
1.61 MILES
Laugardalur encompasses a verdant stretch of land 4km east of the city centre. It was once the main source of Reykjavík’s hot-water supply: it translates…
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Near the dramatic Almannagjá fault and fronted by a boardwalk is the Lögberg (Law Rock), where the Alþingi (Parliament) convened annually. This was where…
Nearby attractions
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Reykjavík’s immense white-concrete church (1945–86), star of a thousand postcards, dominates the skyline and is visible from up to 20km away. An elevator…
2. Einar Jónsson Museum
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Einar Jónsson (1874–1954) is one of Iceland’s foremost sculptors, famous for intense symbolist works. Chiselled representations of Hope, Earth and Death…
3. Einar Jónsson Sculpture Garden
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The garden behind the Einar Jónsson Museum contains 26 bronze casts of Iceland's first sculptor, the symbolist Einar Jónsson.
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Artist-run and housed in a former basement apartment, this gallery features up-and-coming Icelandic artists.
5. Ásgrímur Jónsson Collection
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Iceland's first professional painter, Ásgrímur Jónsson (1876–1958) was the son of a farmer. He lived and worked here, and you can visit his former atelier…
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A total of 14 large flat-screens cover the walls in this vast two-storey exhibition hall. Each screen presents a three- to four-minute documentary,…
8. National Gallery of Iceland
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This pretty stack of marble atriums and spacious galleries overlooking Tjörnin offers ever-changing exhibits drawn from a 10,000-piece collection. The…