Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
N
STYKKISHÓLMUR
Harbour
0
400
metres
Ocean
Safari
Norska
Húsiđ
Ferry ticket
office
Vatnasafn
Landeyjarsund
Library
R
Eldfjallasafn
Bank
Vinbuð
3
Bónus Supermarket
ACCOMMODATION
Bænir og Brauð
Breiðafjörður
Campsite
Egilsen
Höfðagata Gisting
Stykkishólmur
4
2
6
1
3
5
CAFÉS & RESTAURANTS
Fimm Fiskar
Narfeyrarstofa
Sjávarpakkhúsið
3
2
1
Þingvellir, Helgafell & Reykjavík
Vatnasafn
Bókhlöðustígur 17 • June - Aug daily 1-6pm; at other times by appointment • Free •
W
libraryofwater.is
From Norska húsið, it's a short stroll up the hill to the former library, which now
houses the intriguing
Vatnasafn
(Library of Water), a constellation of tall, glass columns
containing glacial water collected from around Iceland, which is the work of the
American artist Roni Horn. As natural light is refracted through the columns, unusual
shapes and shadows are created on the floor, which is inscribed with Icelandic and
English words that describe the weather or human moods.
Súgandisey
From the harbour, it's worth strolling along on Sæbraut past the Sæferðir shipping office
to the set of steps leading up to
Súgandisey
,
the rocky island which protects the town
from the ravages of the open waters of Breiðafjörður. From the bright orange
lighthouse
that sits amid tussocky grass at the highest point of the island, there are unsurpassed
postcard-perfect views of the multicoloured houses of Stykkishólmur, with Helgafell in
the distance. When the wind is not roaring in from the Atlantic (rare), Súgandisey
makes a wonderful place for a picnic; there's a wooden bench halfway up the steps to the
island, built into the cliff-face, which offers some protection from the wind.
Eldfjallasafn
Aðalgata 6 • May-Sept daily 11am-5pm • 800kr •
W
eldjallasafn.is
Stykkishólmur's other main place of interest is the unusual
Eldfjallasafn
(Volcano
Museum), a repository of all things volcanic, including an impressive collection of
“volcano art”, paintings which all portray volcanic eruptions: there's even an original by
Andy Warhol from 1985, whose explosive reds and oranges show an erupting Vesuvius.
Founded by Iceland's leading volcanologist, local man Haraldur Sigurðsson, the
