The Golden Circle - Land og saga

Reykjanes Peninsula
Teeming with bird life, endless lava
fields, geothermal wonders, spectacular
cliffs and the relentless pounding surf all
around its coastline, Reykjanes Peninsula is a
magical location with plenty to keep you busy
year round. Almost every travel brochure
and website about Reykjanes Peninsula
includes information about its most famous
attraction, the Blue Lagoon - and rightly so,
for that is not a place you would want to miss!
Nevertheless, this issue of Icelandic Times
would like to turn your attention to a few of
the Peninsula’s other star attractions...
The Viking World Museum
One of best museums devoted to Viking
history in Iceland can be found on the
Reykjanes Peninsula at Vikingarheimar
or the Viking World Museum in Njarvík.
The imposing modern architecture of
the building contrasts sharply with the
nearby turf farm and the mossy lava fields
that surround it. Through the huge glass
km) from Reykjavik to New York in 2000
in the wake of Leif Eiriksson, who first
discovered America. Thus he paid tribute
to the 1,000 years of Viking character,
culture, and craftsmanship, becoming a
huge sensation the world over.
Vikingaheimar is also home to the
exhibition The North Atlantic Viking
Saga, which was originally shown at the
Smithsonian Institution in Washington
D.C in the summer of 2000. Both of these
immensely popular and interesting exhibits
are on permanent display in museum’s main
building, Vikinga Aldan, or Viking Wave.
Lighthouses & Shipwrecks
Reykjanes has eleven spectacularly-sited
lighthouses along its treacherous coast,
including Iceland’s oldest, Reykjanesviti,
dating from 1878. Iceland’s highest lighthouse
is at Garðskagi, in Garður. Only 5 lighthouses
were built in Iceland by the 20th century but
‘The Happy Sailors’ Day’
Towns across Iceland hold all sorts of events
and festivals in summer and among the
country’s largest is the Seamen’s Day Festival
in Grindavik, held annually over the first
weekend in June. The week-long programme
of events includes art exhibitions, fairground
rides, competitions and live music,
culminating in Sjómannadagur - Seamen’s
Day. The eclectically varied schedule
includes a dog show, helicopter rides, a golf
competition, water fights, pillow fights and
special offers in local shops and eateries.
Power!
Power Plant Earth is an exhibition located
in Reykjanesvirkjun, Hafnir, a geothermal
power plant located not far from the edge
of Reykjanes, the Reykjanes lighthouse
and Bridge between two Continents. The
exhibition’s most impressive showpiece is
a geothermal turbine generating 50 MW
of ‘green’ electrical power, enough to keep
Reykjavík City running on a good day. For
a peek at what awaits you, see:
www.powerplantearth.is
The Sunset Festival
The Sunset Festival on Garðskagi is truly a
festival for the whole family. The festivities are
held annually at Garðskagi in the middle of the
summer. The facility is ideal for campers with
tents, trailer tents, caravans and Winnebagos.
Sunset on Garðskagi presents an aweinspiring
spectacle and the timing of the
festival is perfect because then the summer
solstice will have passed. The setting sun
glitters on the ocean while the inhabitants
of Garður and their guests sing and celebrate
around the campfire.
For more information about the festival’s
date each year as well as the schedule visit
the following website:
www.svgardur.is/ferdathonusta/solseturshatid
Ljósanótt - The Night of Lights
As the bright nights of summer give way
to the shorter days of autumn, the first
Saturday of September sees the staging of
the highly popular Night of Lights, the
Reykjanes Festival of Culture and Family.
Now a fixed event in Iceland’s cultural
windows that make up at least half the
building, a viking ship is visible from quite
a distance, appearing as if frozen in mid-air.
The Íslendingur is an exact replica of
the viking vessel Gokstad, found almost
completely intact in Norway in 1882, and
believed to have been built in 870. Built by
the sailor and master shipbuilder, Gunnar
Marel Eggertsson from 1994-1996, the
Íslendingur sailed the 2,600 miles (4,200
by 1954 there were over 100 at strategic points
all around the coast of Iceland. Numerous
shipwrecks around Reykjanes have been
an tragic fact of life in the history of the
peninsula. At Garðskagi, you can read more
about these tragic events and there is a map
showing shipwreck sites and their dates.
For more information, contact the Icelandic
Lighthouse Society at their website:
www.vitafelagid.is
calendar, the event, which despite its name,
is now staged over four days from Thursday
to Sunday. An ever-growing celebration of
local culture, last year’s festival included
more than 100 separate events and attracted
some 30,000 visitors. The Night of Lights
offers something for everyone, ranging
from art, theatre and music performed by
groups and individuals, to a spectacular
finale under a blaze of fireworks. Whatever
your cultural interests, The Night of Lights
has something to offer you, so make a date
to come, see and sample this unique event
during the first weekend in September.
Markadstofa Reykjanes
Krossmót 4 • 260 Reykjanes
+354 421 3520
info@visitreykjanes.is
www. visitreykjanes.is
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