Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Ingólfur Arnarson, a Norwegian fugitive, became the first official Icelander in AD 871.
The story goes that he tossed his öndvegissúlur (high-seat pillars) overboard, and settled
where the gods washed them ashore. This was at Reykjavík (Smoky Bay), which he
named after steam rising from geothermal vents. According to 12th-century sources, Ingól-
fur built his farm near modern-day Aðalstræti (where excavations have unearthed a Viking
longhouse).
Reykjavík remained just a simple collection of farm buildings for centuries. In 1225 an
important Augustinian monastery was founded on the offshore island of Viðey, although
this was destroyed during the 16th-century Reformation.
In the early 17th century the Danish king imposed a crippling trade monopoly on Ice-
land, leaving the country starving and destitute. In a bid to bypass the embargo, local sher-
iff Skúli Magnússon, the 'Father of Reykjavík', created weaving, tanning and wool-dyeing
factories - the foundations of the city - in the 1750s.
Reykjavík really boomed during WWII, when it serviced British and US troops sta-
tioned at Keflavík. The capital grew at a frenetic pace until it took a slamming in the credit
crisis of 2008. Today, with continuously rising visitor numbers and endlessly innovative
locals, central Reykjavík has exploded with renewed growth.
Search WWH ::




Custom Search