Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1
today; and for the two grubby pages full of grease stains and dirty finger marks of
Kálfalækjarbók
,
which contains fragments of
Njáls Saga
, one of the most widely read of
all the sagas and preserved in more than fifty different manuscripts; this version dates
from the mid-fourteenth century.
The first floor
It's worth devoting a few minutes to the
Jón Sigurðsson
room on the
first floor
(entered
through the door marked Fundarstofur), dedicated to the independence leader Jón
Sigurðsson, though you probably have to be a national to appreciate fully some of the
finer details of his bitter struggle with the Danes; a glass cabinet contains some of his
personal effects. In Iceland at least, the oil painting on the wall here depicting Jón
bravely standing up in the presence of the Danish king and other top officials, putting
his nation's case for independence, is much talked about and revered.
The second floor
he
second floor
(and the staircase leading up to it) is given over to changing displays
of twentieth-century paintings and other artwork. The pieces are all owned by the
National Gallery, where exhibition space is severely limited.
Hallgrímskirkja
Skólavörðuholt • Daily: June-Aug 9am-9pm; Sept-May 9am-5pm • Free; viewing platform 500kr
From the lower end of Laugavegur, the tongue-twisting Skólavörðustígur streaks
steeply upwards to the largest church in the country, the magnificent
Hallgrímskirkja
.
This is a modern concrete structure, whose neatly composed space-shuttle-like form
dominates the Reykjavík skyline. Work began on the church - named after the
renowned seventeenth-century religious poet Hallgrímur Pétursson - immediately after
World War II, but was only finally completed a few years ago, the slow progress due
to the task being carried out by a family firm comprising one man and his son. The
work of state architect Guðjón Samúelsson, the church's unusual design - not least its
73m phallic steeple - has divided the city over the years, although locals have grown
to accept rather than love it since its consecration in 1986. Most people rave about the
organ inside, the only decoration in an otherwise completely bare Gothic-style shell;
measuring a whopping 15m in height and possessing over five thousand pipes, it really
has to be heard to be believed. The cost of installing it called for a major fundraising
effort, with people across the country sponsoring a pipe - if you fancy putting money
towards one yourself, for which you'll receive a certificate, ask the staff in their office
on the right as you enter the church. The tower has a
viewing platform
, accessed by a
lift
from just within the main door, giving stunning panoramic views across Reykjavík;
it's open to the elements, so bring a warm hat and scarf if you come up here in winter.
Incidentally, don't expect the clock at the top of the tower to tell the correct time - the
wind up there is so strong that it frequently blows the hands off course. In fact, it's rare
for any two public clocks in Reykjavík to tell the same time due to the differing wind
conditions throughout the city.
Leifur Eiríksson statue
With his back to the church and his view firmly planted on Vínland, the imposing
statue of
Leifur Eiríksson,
Discoverer of America, was donated by the US in 1930
to mark the Icelandic parliament's thousandth birthday. It's a favourite spot for
photographs and makes as good a place as any to survey your surroundings - this
is one of the highest parts of Reykjavík, and on a clear day there are great
views
out over the surrounding streets of houses adorned with multicoloured corrugated-
iron facades.
