Life under the Midnight Sun - North Iceland's ... - Land og saga

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HúsavíkThe Culture HouseHúsavík’s Fascinating View of Its HistoryThere are two permanent exhibitionsin The Culture House: ‘Man andNature – 100 years in Þingeyjarsýsla’, anew exhibition opened in 2010 and ‘TheMaritime Exhibition’.‘Man and Nature—100 Years inÞingeyjarsýsla’This aims to provide insight into man’srelationship with nature in this region inthe period 1850-1950, and the subsistencefarming that was practised at that time wheneach farmstead was largely self-sufficient.This interesting aspect of national cultureis explored by juxtaposing objects from natureand man-made artefacts. The presentationincludes a large number of interesting exhibits- some of natural origin, such as animals,plants and rocks, while others are home-madeobjects, for instance tools, needlework, worksof art and crafts, etc.The Maritime ExhibitionHere you will find displays of a large numberof boats, many of them built in Húsavík. Italso includes a wide variety of fi shing gear,equipment and tools which were used inthe fisheries, seal-hunting and shark-fishing.Films can be viewed, and the exhibition offersan interesting interactive history database,where information on such unusual mattersas the location of fishing grounds, farms withdriftwood rights, landing-places for boats,etc. is presented in map form.Research and Photography ExhibitsOn both the ground floor and top floorof the Culture House various temporaryexhibitions and events take place. Thissummer, there will be an exhibition onarchaeological research and findings inthe area, an exhibition on Iceland’s rolein the moon landing and a photographyexhibition with photos from the MývatnArea at the beginning of the 20 th century,taken by Bárður Sigurðsson.At the Cultural house you can also fi nd achildren’s room, museum shop and coffee. TheCulture House is open from the 1 st of June—31 st of August every day from 10-18. Adultadmission is 600 ISK with children under 16admitted free and includes all exhibits.Húsavík Whale MuseumDedicated exclusively to whale biology,behaviour, and interaction with people,this museum is housed in the town’srenovated slaughterhouse.–ASF261
North IcelandThe Biggest Bones You’ll Ever See!Whale bones hang from the Roof at Húsavík Whale MuseumIf you’d like to see whale bones and learnhow whales impacted Icelandic culturethroughout the ages, visit the popularHúsavík Whale Museum in the north ofIceland. “People visit the museum becauseit is the best way to learn about whales andtheir environment without actually divinginto the ocean,” says curator HermannBárðarson, a biologist with a keen interestin whales. “Last year, 21,000 people of allages visited the museum.”Whale SkeletonsThe crown jewel of the museum, so tospeak, is the 13 metre-long skeleton of asperm whale. There are 8 more skeletons ondisplay. “Only when one is close to one ofthese skeletons does one realise how largewhales actually are and how strikinglysimilar their anatomy is to humananatomy,” says Bárðarson. “Most peoplenever have the opportunity to come inclose contact with a whale—simply becausetheir ocean habitat is so different from ours.This is a real pity. It is our mission at themuseum to interpret everything aboutwhales to the general public. We are hereto spark curiosity, disseminate knowledgeand foster respect for these animals.”Museum for all Ages“Our museum is perhaps the most familyfriendlymuseum in the country,” saysBárðarson. “Its content comes from thedepths of the sea which is normally hiddenfrom humans. It comes from a place that isgenerally thought of as dangerous, lifeless,cold and dark—but nothing could befurther from the truth, of course. Childrenare especially receptive to the mysteriousnature of this hidden world. We like tobelieve that we’re successful in delivering apositive experience for children by bringingthis hidden world a little closer. Themuseum receives school groups from allparts of Iceland throughout the winter. Thevisits are an integral part of the children’seducation about the environment.”Fostering a Community SpiritThe Whale museum has become anintegral part of the local community. It isan attraction in its own right but it alsosupports the budding whale-watchingindustry in the Skjálfandaflói Bay. “Last year50,000 people visited Húsavík exclusivelyto go whale watching and visit the WhaleMuseum. The Whale Museum supportsthe overall visitor experience and fosters thecommunity spirit—everyone in Húsavík isproud of the museum. It also provides animportant employment opportunity forprofessionals, academics, unskilled peopleand volunteers in a disused slaughterhouse,”says Bárðarson. “Come and see the whaleskeletons and learn how whales haveimpacted Icelandic culture.”–SHVHvalasafniðA Stay by the ParkÁrból Guesthouse is a beautiful place to stay in HúsavíkOn a residential side street of Húsavík,overlooking a gentle stream on the westend of the town park is Árból Guesthouse,a tranquil guesthouse just off the town’smain street. Ten rooms prepared by ownerand manager, Auður, await travellers whowant to spend a few days whale watching ortaking day trips to Mývatn or the NationalPark which is only forty-fi ve minutes away.Auður often remains at the guesthouse to givevisitors tips or chat with them at breakfast, fora hands-on approach.The three story guesthouse featuresfour rooms per fl oor with a two bedroomattic recently added on as an expansion.Bedrooms have shared bathrooms with fivebathrooms in total for the ten rooms in thehotel. Styled simply, with cushioned wickerchairs and comfortable double beds, the airyrooms are illuminated by sun streamingthrough large windows on summer days.The two bedrooms in the attic are styleddifferently from the rest of the house, withwood stained dark honey and a skylightlighting up a shared living room lined withleather couches.After a big buffet breakfast included inthe price of the room, guests can take apeek outside at the well-kept garden andon warmer days, sit out on the backyardpatio and listen to the sound of the gentlytrickling stream. Guests who want to takea short walk can just follow the stream toenter Húsavík’s park. A bit further is a lakewith a lot of trout in it. It takes about anhour to walk around it. No fi shing permit isrequired at the lake so visitors can just graba fi shing pole and see if anything is biting.A Governor to be thankful forÁrból Guesthouse’s three fl oors were oncetrod by Húsavík’s governor, who lived thereuntil 1956, and the house acted as the cityhall for the district. Known for his kindnessand good nature, the former governor usedto phone farmers brewing spirits duringIcelandic prohibition days if he expectedan official visit from his superior. Partialityto locals and exceptions to the rules wereconsidered a norm in this small town’s life.Even though the governor is long gone, he isstill remembered in the stories and hearts ofthe townspeople and Árból remains knownfor its inner charms and outward grace.–KBÁrbólHafnarstétt 1 • 640 Húsavík+354 414 2800info@whalemuseum.iswww.whalemuseum.isÁsgarðsvegur 2 • 640 Húsavík+354 464 2220guest.hus@simnet.iswww.arbol.is262 263
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