Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Fáskrúðsjörður
The elongated hamlet of FÁSKRÚÐSFJÖRÐUR was, until the early twentieth century, a
busy seasonal base for fishing fleets from northern France , and the French even
established stores, a hospital and consulate here. Today, other than the bilingual street
names which pepper the village, the French connection is most tangible during the
Franskir dagir festival in late July, which celebrates all things Gallic with four days of
singing, dancing and, naturally, feasting.
Fransmenn á Íslandi
Búðavegur • June-Aug daily 10am-6pm • 1000kr
Set in a distinctive white and blue tin building (the red door completes the
tricolour), the Fransmenn á Íslandi (French in Iceland museum) contains a jumble of
black-and-white photographs and other flotsam from the French glory days - visual
proof that there were an incredible five thousand people in Fáskrúdsfjörður during
the fishing season.
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The cemetery
At the far eastern end of the village, a cemetery encircled by a white fence is a reminder
of how many French and Belgian fishermen lost their lives of Fáskrúðsfjörður during
the village's heyday; the path down to the cemetery begins opposite the Welcome to
Fáskrúðsfjörður sign.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
FÁSKRÚÐSFJÖRÐUR
By bus The East Iceland Bus Company ( T 477 1713,
W austjardaleid.is) runs a Mon-Fri Egilsstaðir-
Fáskrúðsfjörður-Stöðvarfjörður-Breiðdalsvík service.
Destinations Breiðdalsvík (5 weekly; 50min); Egilsstaðir
(5 weekly; 1hr 10min); Stöðvarfjörður (5 weekly; 30min).
By car Route 96 runs north (via a 6km tunnel) to
Reyðarfjörður and south to Stöðvafjörður; there's also the
much longer, slower Route 955 along the coast to
Reyðarjörður.
Services The bank, post o ce, pool and supermarket are
all on kilometre-long Búðavegur.
ACCOMMODATION, EATING AND DRINKING
Bjarg Skólavegur 49 T 475 1466, W hotelbjarg.is. Yo u'd
never guess from the storm-battered exterior, but rooms
are clean, comfortable and smart, if not lavishly decorated,
and have shared or private bathrooms. The owner is quietly
helpful and organizes boat trips to w ind-scoured islands
offshore. Breakfast included. 15,000kr
Café Súmarlina Búðavegur 59 T 845 8008. Lovely
wooden building overlooking the harbour, but the menu is
the familiar run of burgers, pizza and sandwiches served up
in every roadhouse around the country. Still, prices aren't
bad: a large burger, chips and notional salad is 1500kr.
Daily 11am-9pm.
Campsite Hafnargata 12 T 475 1220. Nice spot at the
western edge of town with a meadow and stream, plus a
growing screen of trees to reduce the near-constant winds.
Toilet but no show er; head to the pool 15min away on
Búðavegur. 1000kr
Stöðvarjörður
STÖÐVARFJÖRÐUR is a diminutive harbour attached to an equally small town, whose
main street - Route 96, here called Fjarðarbraut - is barely 300m long. If you're here in
spring, you're likely to see snow-white ptarmigans wandering fearlessly down the road,
eating ornamental berries in people's front gardens; otherwise, a couple of art galleries
might tempt you to stop.
Gallerí Snærós
Fjarðarbraut 40 • Daily 10am-5pm • W gallerisnaeros.is
Gallerí Snærós displays graphic work and ceramics by local artists Sólrún Friðriksdóttir
and Ríkhardur Vattingoyer; there's also a mix of designer clay miniatures and textiles by
their daughter Rósa. You can also watch Sólrún and Ríkhardur at work in their studio.
 
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