This was published 1 year ago
Reykjavik, Iceland, travel guide and things to do: Nine highlights
Harpa concert hall.
THE ONE CONCERT HALL
Perched on a small promontory, a little like a mini-Bennelong Point but a world away, Reykjavik's stunning Harpa concert hall, with its colourful, fish-eye like glass brick facade, is not only Reykjavik's cultural pride and joy but all of Iceland's. Despite its size, this tiny country's artistic outpost excels, from Bjork to ballet, and it's worth booking a performance well ahead of any visit to the world's northernmost capital city. See harpa.is
THE ONE FOOD HALL
Food halls packed with cool restaurants and bars have proliferated in Reykjavik in the past five years. The edgiest of them is Hlemmur Matholl Reykjavík's first food hall built inside the city's retro bus terminal (if you're catching a cab, make sure the driver doesn't instead take you to the new and gastronomically bereft main bus terminal on the other side of town). See hlemmurmatholl.is
THE ONE GEOTHERMAL BATHS
For those who don't fancy the nearly 45-minute drive from downtown Reykjavik to the famed Blue Lagoon geothermal pools, then hot pool foot it to the alternative Sky Lagoon. Only minutes from town, the architecturally impressive Sky Lagoon is in an unprepossessing setting overlooking the North Atlantic. Be sure to book well ahead for your soothing slot at Sky Lagoon as it's become immensely popular since tourists have returned to Iceland. See skylagoon.com
THE ONE SUMMIT POINT
Hofdi House, a charming whitewashed building almost directly opposite Harpa along the city's extensive waterfront, was the site of the dramatic Reykjavik Summit in 1986 between US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev. The building is now used for mayoral functions and not open to the public, but sightseers can admire it from the open grounds encircling it. See visitreykjavik.is
THE ONE HOTEL
Right next to the capital's beloved Bejarins Beztu Pylsur hot dog stand, the harbourside four-star boutique Konsulat Hotel is within easy walking distance of the capital's attractions. It's built around what remains of a former 1900s department store founded by entrepreneur Consul Ditlev Thomsen. Don't miss the small but amazing Icelandic-style subterranean bath house (pictured above) hidden below the lobby space. See
THE ONE BAKERY
Soft, spicy and always fresh, the cinnamon rolls, among other baked delights at Braud & Co are renowned in Reykjavik. The bakery has five outlets with the smallest and most accessible being the one on Frakkastigur Street with its hard to miss colourful street art-inspired frontage down the road from the landmark cathedral (see below). Warning for Australian visitors: only takeaway filtered coffee is served but there are plenty of cafes nearby, even if few open early as the locals love a lie-in. See braudogco.is
THE ONE SIDE TRIP
Credit: Alamy
If you're only staying in Reykjavik during your visit, the standard but enjoyable Golden Circle day tour of some of Iceland's major natural attractions within an eight-hour return trip from the capital is worthwhile. The sights on the tour include the spectacularly wild Gullfoss Falls, filled by meltwaters from the nearby Langjokull Glacier, the second biggest glacier in Iceland, and a visit to a not-quite-as-good-as-New Zealand spouting geyser field. See visiticeland.com
THE ONE GIFT SHOP
A little further along Laugavegur lies Nomad, something of a retail diamond among the at times puffin figurine touristy rough. At this gorgeous gift shop, sorry, lifestyle store, you'll find a fabulous selection of books about Iceland (try and pick up a copy of the most useful Hidden Iceland guidebook). There's also a range of quality Nordic homewares, jewellery, toiletries, scented candles and much more. See nomadstore.is
THE ONE CHURCH
Easily the capital's most dominant and striking man-made feature, Hallgrimskirkja rises urgently to a height of 74.5 metres over an otherwise low rise, red roof-topped Reykjavik. This Lutheran church was built in the mid-1940s in the austere modernist style and resembles a decommissioned rocket. Take in the panorama of the city and its awesome natural surroundings from a viewing platform inside the top of the spire. See hallgrimskirkja.is
ONE MORE THING…
Not surprisingly considering the cool to cold all year-round climate, Icelanders love their coffee with snug cafes being ubiquitous in the capital. The quality of the espresso coffee is surprisingly good, too, and while everyone tends to recommend the trendy Reykjavik Roasters chain, the branch of Te & Kaffi on the main shopping street, Laugavegur, pumps out a mean and authentic flat white in a pleasant setting. See teogkaffi.is; reykjavikroasters.is
The writer travelled as a guest of Norwegian Cruise Lines and British Airways. A 10-day Norwegian Prima Northern Europe cruise from Reykjavik to London departs on September 26, 2024, and costs from $A3420 a person. BA operates direct flights between London and Reykjavik. See ncl.com; see britishairways.com
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