Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
busts from his period of Greek influence, but the original of his most famous sculpture
from 1926,
Sæmundur á selnum
(
Sæmundur on the Seal
), is not on display here but,
appropriately, stands outside the main university building on Suðurgata. It shows one
of the first Icelanders to receive a university education, the priest and historian
Sæmundur Sigfússon (1056-1133), astride a seal, psalter in hand. A smaller version of
the original now stands in the museum grounds, where you'll also find many of
Ásmundur's other soft-edged, gently curved monuments to the ordinary working
people of the country.
1
Laugardalur and around
After rambling through central Reykjavík for a good couple of kilometres, Laugavegur
comes to an end at the junction with the main north-south artery, Kringlumýrarbraut
(actually Route 40, leading to Hafnarfjörður). Beyond here Suðurlandsbraut
marks the
southern reaches of
Laugardalur
valley, hemmed in between the low hills of Grensás to
the south and the northerly Laugarás, just behind Sundahöfn harbour, whose
Þvottalaugarnar springs have been known since the time of the Settlement as a source
of hot water for washing. The springs are still here, the spot commemorated by the
Ásmundur Sveinsson statue,
Þvottakonan
(
he Washerwoman
), but the area is best
known as the site of Iceland's premier
sports ground
,
Laugardalsvöllur, as well as the
superb Laugardalslaug outdoor
swimming complex
(see p.80) and the youth hostel. The
green expanses beyond the sports ground contain the country's most impressive
botanical garden
and a
zoo
.
Botanical garden
No set hours • Free
Barely ten minutes on foot from the Ásmundur Sveinsson sculpture museum, reached
by walking east along Engjavegur, the
botanical garden
contains an extensive collection
of native Icelandic flora, as well as thousands of imported plants and trees. This place is
particularly popular with Icelandic families who come here not only to enjoy the
surroundings but also to show kids the adjoining family park and zoo.
Húsdýragarðurinn and Fjölskyldugarðurinn
Hafrafell • Mid-May to mid-Aug daily 10am-6pm; mid-Aug to mid-May daily 10am-5pm • 700kr •
W
mu.is • Buses #2, 14, 15, 17 and 19
run from the city centre; get off at the Laugardalshöll stop.
With children in tow, the
Húsdýragarðurinn zoo
makes a pleasant afternoon's visit,
home to Icelandic mammals such as seals, foxes, mink, reindeer. There's also a
collection of fish caught in local rivers and lakes which will keep younger visitors
entertained. Once the attraction of the animals starts to wane, you can check out the
surrounding
Fjölskyldugarðurinn family park
, where there's a small duck lake complete
with replica Viking longboat, and other activities based loosely on a Viking theme: a
fort, an outlaw hideout and even a go-kart track.
The Árbæjarsafn Open-Air Museum
June-Aug daily 10am-5pm • 1100kr •
W
arbaejarsafn.is • Bus #19 from Hlemmur bus station or the botanical garden
he
Árbæjarsafn Open-Air Museum
is a collection of turf-roofed and corrugated-iron
buildings on the site of an ancient farm that was first mentioned in the sagas around
the mid-1400s. The buildings and their contents record the changes that occurred as
Iceland's economy switched from farming to fishing - the industrial revolution being
heralded by the arrival of the fishing trawler - and Reykjavík's rapid expansion. The
