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Travel<br />
A CITY OF BOLD CONTRASTS<br />
Reykjavik is very much the modern European capital with<br />
restaurants, bars and clubs intermingled with multi-coloured<br />
buildings that line the picturesque streets, making it an ideal<br />
location for a much-needed break or some respite from the<br />
sheep and glaciers from the rest of the country.<br />
Both cosmopolitan and small-town, vibrant and sophisticated,<br />
young at heart and yet full of history, it is an ideal base for<br />
those looking for a touch of city life to mix with the rural<br />
adventures of the remainder of the country.<br />
From the multi-coloured houses that line quaint cobbled<br />
streets to the ultra-modern Harpa Concert and Conference<br />
Centre that shimmers on the water’s edge, it is also a relatively<br />
new city and its main landmark, Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral,<br />
was only built in 1937. Perched on top of one of the city’s<br />
highest points, it is visible from almost anywhere you go in<br />
Reykjavik and really is a striking focal point to the city.<br />
Other notable attractions include the historic Hofdi house in<br />
which former US President Ronald Reagan and former Soviet<br />
Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev met in 1986 and set in motion<br />
the dialogue that would end the Cold War or visit the Imagine<br />
Peace Tower which is a memorial to John Lennon from his<br />
widow, Yoko Ono, located on Videy Island in Kollafjordur Bay.<br />
Harpa Concert and Conference Centre<br />
Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral<br />
Mount Esja dominating<br />
the Reykjavik skyline.<br />
Blue Lagoon<br />
If you're an avid hiker, Mount Esja is a great option. Esja is<br />
not a single mountain but a mountain range and is located<br />
roughly 10 kilometres north of the city. But, if you're feeling<br />
a little more administrative, Reykjavik City Hall is an impressive<br />
building situated on the northern shore of Tjornin lake and is<br />
well-worth the visit if you're into art exhibitions which are often<br />
held here.<br />
Or if you're feeling like taking a dip, head on over to one of<br />
the many thermal pools around the city. The Laugardalslaug<br />
thermal pool is a prime example if you don't wish to travel far<br />
with the family. But, if you wish to bathe in a lagoon surrounded<br />
by volcanoes and lava, the Blue Lagoon — a health spa on the<br />
Reykjanes Peninsula — is the place to be. Relaxing in the hot<br />
water of the lagoon will be an unforgettable experience as it<br />
is widely believed that the soothing water contains nutrients<br />
that soften the skin, while silicon granules give it a smooth,<br />
attractive sheen. Skin cream made from the waters and minerals<br />
of the Blue Lagoon has cleansing, protective, nutritious and<br />
beautifying properties. It is said that bathing in the Blue Lagoon<br />
can be a natural treatment for psoriasis.<br />
Oh yes, we're not lying! People began bathing in the pool<br />
around 1980 and soon discovered that the water, with its high<br />
mineral content, had a beneficial effect on many skin disorders.<br />
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