Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WINTER WONDERS
You're probably aware that the number of visitors to Iceland has skyrocketed in recent
years. You may well be asking: what if there was a way to experience Iceland's awesome
outdoors, but with smaller crowds? There is: visit in winter. For the Northern Lights, yes,
but so much more. And don't feel you need to be confined to Reykjavík and surrounds -
domestic flights to Akureyri operate year-round, and there's a growing number of winter
activities and operators in the country's north to help you experience the snowy-moun-
tain magic.
Akureyri, Tröllaskagi and Mývatn are all winter wonderlands: Akureyri has winter fest-
ivals and easy access to Iceland's biggest skifield at
Hlíðarfjall
.
Tröllaskagi offers smaller
skifields (at Dalvík, Ólafsfjörður and Siglufjörður), plus great heliskiing operators, and
Mývatn has activities like snowshoe and cross-country ski tours, and snowmobiling on
the frozen lake. A good tip is to travel from around February, when daylight hours are in-
creasing (but don't discount Christmas-New Year as a festive time to visit).
If you're not experienced in winter driving, it's a good idea to leave that to the kitted-out
professionals with their super-Jeeps and local expertise. Operators such as
Saga Travel
,
based in Akureyri, are a sure bet, but check out the websites of companies such as
Bergmenn Mountain Guides
, Mývatn's
Hike & Bike
and
Sel-Hótel
to see what else ap-
peals.
Hólar í Hjaltadalur
With its prominent church dwarfed by the looming mountains, tiny Hólar (
www.holar.is
)
makes an interesting historical detour. The bishopric of Hólar was the ecumenical and edu-
cational capital of northern Iceland between 1106 and the Reformation, and it continued as
a religious centre and the home of the northern bishops until 1798, when the bishop's seat
was abolished.
Hólar then became a vicarage until 1861, when the vicarage was shifted west to Viðvík.
In 1882 the present agricultural college was established - it's now known as Hólar
University College, specialising in equine science, aquaculture and rural tourism. In 1952
the vicarage returned to Hólar.
