The Golden Circle - Land og saga

Akureyri
- Winter Sports Capital of Iceland
Akureyri is, in many ways, one of the
most idyllic towns in Iceland and is
sometimes compared to the cosy alpine
villages of Switzerland. Set deep in the
far reaches of Eyjafjörður, this close knittown
is the second largest in Iceland with
a population of 17,800, and is the centre
of culture, education and leisure activities
of the North. Blessed with relatively warm
front entrance.
Akureyri’s compact centre makes getting
around town on foot enjoyable and healthy,
with hotels, the main swimming pool,
restaurants and shops all clustered in an
easily accessible radius. The free bus service
is another welcome addition and way to get
around.
Akureyri, the ideal sports and leisure
town
With healthy annual snowfalls in recent
years, Akureyri is, without a doubt, one
the town and is a 10 minute drive from the
airport and the city centre. See their website:
www.hlidarfjall.is
with temperatures around 28°C along with
four geothermal hot pots, a Turkish bath,
water slides, a children’s pool, and an indoor
swimming pool. Next to the pool is a play
area with playground equipment.
The Annual Éljagangur Winter Sports
Festival
Éljagangur, is the name given to a new, fourday
winter festival to be held in Akureyri
from the 10th to the 13th of February 2011.
Highlights of this exciting event will
include:
Spring Adventures at Easter
Every Easter there are a great variety of events
in and around Akureyri. The locals celebrate
by taking some time off for hiking, skiing,
and treks into the surrounding mountains,
afterwards attending a local concert in town
or having a few drinks with friends in their
favorite downtown restaurant or nightclub.
Easter is a beautiful time in North Iceland
with many spring flowers beginning to bud
in local gardens and the longer days giving
promise of the onset of summer.
summers, cold winters and plenty of snow,
its location has one of the warmest summer
climates in Iceland even though it is a mere
100 km from the Arctic Circle.
It’s got that ‘small town’ feel to it, laid
back and unruffled, yet a surprisingly
stimulating cultural life with many art
galleries, art museums, and a theatre
company. The town centre comes to life -
especially on Friday and Saturday nights
- with restaurants, nightclubs, bars and
hot spots which rev into gear, catering to
tourists and locals alike.
Akureyri, the ideal conference town
The new Hof Cultural and Conference
Centre, opened in August 2010, is the latest
addition to Akureyri’s growing cultural life,
providing a state-of-the-art venue for music
concerts, the performing arts, conferences,
exhibitions, special occasions and events.
The centre comprises two auditoriums, a
restaurant and various conference rooms,
with facilities for groups of all sizes. The Hof
is also the new home to Akureyri’s Tourist
Information Centre, located just inside the
of the top skiing spots in the country. The
Skiing Centre provides all that you need
to indulge in downhill and cross-country
recreational skiing, including ski rental and
a ski school. The ski area is located just above
Swim in Winter!
Icelanders love their geothermally-heated
pools and even go swimming on a snowy
winter’s day. One of the most popular
swimming pools in the country is the
Akureyri Swimming Pool. The pool area
has two large outdoor swimming pools
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snowcross competition
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mountain climbing
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snow track racing
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ski touring courses
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giant snowman on the town square
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ice sculptures at the Hof Cultural &
Conference Centre
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sledding races
In addition to all these activities, there
will be an outdoor winter sports fair
featuring local and national companies. For
more information, see their website at:
www.eljagangur.is
In the wake of this popularity surge
that Akureyri has been enjoying as a top
winter destination in recent years, new
accommodation has opened and still more
is on the way. A new Icelandair Hotel will
open there in the Spring of 2011 and plans
for new holiday accommodation on the
slopes of Mt Hlidarfjall are on the drawing
board, including a variety of new studio
apartments and holiday flats.
Akureyrarstofa
Strandgötu 12 • 600 Akureyri
+354 450 1050
akureyrarstofa@akureyri.is
www.visitakureyri.is
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