Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
unique wooden buildings here were built by Norwegian merchants, attracted by the herring
industry.
During WWII Seyðisfjörður was a base for British and American forces. The only at-
tack was on an oil tanker (the El Grillo ) that was bombed by three German warplanes. The
bombs missed their target, but one exploded so near that the ship sank to the bottom,
where it remains today (a good dive spot).
Seyðisfjörður's steep-sided valley has made it prone to avalanches. In 1885 an ava-
lanche from Bjólfur killed 24 people and pushed several houses straight into the fjord. A
more recent avalanche in 1996 flattened a local factory, but no lives were lost. The ava-
lanche monument near the church is made from twisted girders from the factory, painted
white and erected as they were found.
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