Reykjavik, Iceland — Activities
Reykjavik Culture
With so many months of darkness and bleak weather to fill, far from being limited or monotonous, the city's cultural life surprises many visitors with its sheer diversity and vibrancy. Icelanders particularly love their music (be it classical or modern) and the singer Björk, who broke onto the international music scene with the group The Sugarcubes in 1986, is one of Reykjavik's most famous daughters. The Airwaves Festival in October (see Special Events) is one of the main events in the social calendar, but there are other gigs and concerts (some featuring local talents, others attracting international acts) well worth checking out throughout the year.
Tickets to some cultural events, such as the Arts Festival or the Viking Festival, can be purchased from the Tourist Information Center, Adalstraeti 2 (tel: 590 1550; website: www.visitreykjavik.is). All other tickets are available from the venue box offices.
Two excellent free guides to what's going on in the city are Reykjavik This Month and What's On In Reykjavik, both available at the tourist office and leading hotels. Online listings are available at www.reykjavik.com. For more information on life in Reykjavik, check out the excellent (and free) Grapevine paper (website: www.grapevine.is).
The new Icelandic National Concert and Conference Center, currently under construction, is scheduled for opening in autumn 2009. It is one of the city's most ambitious projects to date and will be an exciting addition to its cultural landscape. The iconic building, whose unique design is inspired by the country's landscape (it was designed by pre-eminent Scandinavian architects and the internationally acclaimed artist Ólafur Elíasson) will be located by the harbor and offer incredible opportunities for concerts.
Music: In winter, the Iceland Symphony Orchestra (tel: 545 2500; website: www.sinfonia.is) usually performs every Thursday (sometimes on Fridays and Saturdays too) at 1930, in Háskólabió, Hagatorg, on the university campus. The Salurinn (tel: 570 0400; website: www.salurinn.is) concert hall in Kópavogur, Hamraborg 6, the first specially designed concert hall in Iceland, hosts regular recitals and concerts. The Icelandic Opera, Ingólfsstraeti, in Garmia Bió (tel: 511 4200; website: www.opera.is), puts on lunch operas on Tuesdays at 1215, as well as staging regular performances in the evening. One of the best sopranos in the country, Signy Saemundsdottir, often sings at these events. Jazz lovers should aim to visit Reykjavik in late August-early September, when the annual Reykjavik Jazz Festival (website: www.jazz.is), an increasingly prestigious event on the international jazz scene, takes place, with concerts held all over the city.
Theater: Serious theatergoers wanting to check out Icelandic drama should head for the National Theater, Hverfisgata 19 (tel: 585 1200 or 551 1200 for tickets; website: www.leikhusid.is), or the Reykjavik City Theater, at Listabraut 3, near the Kringlan shopping center (tel: 568 8000; website: www.borgarleikhus.is). During the tourist season there is also an attractive light entertainment show in English called Light Nights (website: www.lightnights.com) with traditional Icelandic stories and folk songs.
Dance: The Iceland Dance Company (tel: 588 0900 or 568 8000 for tickets; website: www.id.is), based at the Reykjavik City Theater (see Theater bove), focuses on contemporary work and has a regular program of modern dance pieces by Icelandic and foreign choreographers.
Film: Reykjavik has six cinemas: Háskólabió, Hagatorg (tel: 525 5400; website: www.haskolabio.is), Kringlubio, Kringlan 4-12 (tel: 588 0800), Laugarasbio, Laugaras (tel: 553 2075; website: http://laugarasbio.is), Sambio, Alfabakki 8 (tel: 587 8900), Smarabio, Smaralind Shopping Center (tel: 564 000), the largest cinema complex in the country, a short drive from the city center, and Regnboginn, Hverfisgata 54 (tel: 551 9000; website: www.regnboginn.is).
Most of the new films shown are from America, although there are also a limited number of European films. Films are usually shown with the original soundtrack and subtitled in Icelandic. The daily papers can provide further details.
The tiny Red Rock Cinema, Hellusund 6A (tel: 845 9548) is a bit of an oddity that attracts geologists and curious tourists alike with its Volcano Show, a film explaining what impact volcanoes have had on Iceland's landscape. There are three showing in English daily, and the director is often on hand for a chat.
The most famous film set in Reykjavik is 101 Reykjavik, starring Victoria Abril (2000). More recently, Mýrin (Jar City) (2006), based on the novel by Arnaldur Indriðason, was shot in the capital with an all Icelandic cast (see Literary Notes below for both). So was Börn (Children), the story of Karitas, a single mother of four who desperately tries to make ends meet, and her 12-year-old son Gudmund, whose life is on the fast track to destruction. This film was Iceland's official submission to the 2007 Academy Awards, in the Best Foreign Language Film category.
Literary Notes: According to many experts, the foundations of Icelandic literature were laid during the 12th century, when scribes wrote down the sagas and epic tales of the early Icelandic settlers and villagers gathered in farmhouses on winter nights to hear them. One of the best known, Egil's Saga, is a biography of the Viking hero Egil Skallagrimsson.
Iceland's most famous modern writer is Halldor Laxness, who was born in Reykjavik and won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1955, for works documenting life in Iceland - such as Independent People (1935) and The Atom Station (1948).
Among the most successful of Iceland's contemporary writers is Hallgrimur Helgason, whose novel 101 Reykjavik (1996) was made into a film of the same name and released internationally in 2000, starring Victoria Abril. A dark comic tale of life in the city, the novel tells of an aimless young man who begins to find maturity through an affair with his mother's Spanish lesbian lover.
Evelyn McDonnell tackles the enigmatic Bjork in Army of She (2001), in an irreverent and warm book that ends up with the author truly enamoured with Iceland's pop queen. More recently, Arnaldur Indriðason has made a name for himself with thrillers such as Tainted Blood (2004), Silence of the Grave (2005) and Voices (2006).
Reykjavik Tours
Walking Tours
The Tourist Information Center, Adalstraeti 2 (tel: 590 1550; website: www.visitreykjavik.is) in Reykjavik can supply mini guides, including maps and routes, for various self-guided walks around the city. Each walk is signposted and lasts around two hours.
For visitors wishing to venture further afield, the Iceland Touring Association, Mörkin 6 (tel: 568 2533; website: www.fi.is), offers a selection of day walking tours during the summer. They leave by bus from the central bus station, Vatnsmýrarvegi 10.
Bus Tours
A variety of excursions are available, ranging from half-day tours of the city to several days of glacier exploring. Iceland Excursions (tel: 540 1313; website: www.icelandexcursions.is), Reykjavik Excursions (tel: 562 1011; website: www.re.is), and Iceland Total (tel: 585 4300; website: www.icelandtotal.com) run tours around the city and its environs, as well as to places further afield. Most bus tours leave from the BSÍ central bus station, Vatnsmýrarvegi 10, or, by arrangement, from hotels. BSÍ Travel (tel: 562 1011; website: www.bsi.is) also arranges city bus tours and whale-watching tours.
Private Tours
If you wish to discover Reykjavik and its surroundings at your own pace, or if you have a particular interest and would like a tailor-made tour, contact Iceland Guide (tel: 862 9152; website: www.icelandguide.is). They are friendly, qualified guides who offer a professional and attentive service combining private transportation with their experience and knowledge of the area (not to mention a very contagious passion for their country).
4x4 Tours
A number of operators offer 4x4 day tours around Reykjavik, including trips to Mt Hekla and Landmannalaugar. Iceland Rovers (tel: 567 1720; website: www.icelandrovers.is) has comfortable, well-equipped vehicles and knowledgeable guides. Iceland Total (tel: 585 4300; website: www.icelandtotal.com) has a super truck tour combining the Golden Circle with a snow-scooter ride on Langjokull Glacier.
Boat Tours
Whale-watching tours are offered from April to October by Reykjavík Whale Watching (tel: 555 3565 or 533 2660; website: www.elding.is), with several daily departures from June to August. A great opportunity to spot whales, but also dolphins, porpoises, orcas and a variety of birds, including puffins.
Horse Tours
The Icelandic horse is a strong but gentle animal that has adapted perfectly to the terrain. Consequently, horseriding is a popular way of visiting the sights outside the city and is suitable even for people with no riding experience. Íshestar, Íshestar Riding Center, Sörlaskeið 26, Hafnarfjörður (about 15 minutes from Reykjavik by car) (tel: 555 7000; website: www.ishestar.com), offers a variety of tours, ranging from the two-hour lava tour to an eight-day tour of the Golden Circle.
Aerial Sightseeing
For a different perspective, and if your budget allows, hop on a three or four-seater Cessna and see Iceland from above with Eagle Air (tel: 562 4200; website: www.eagleair.is). On a clear, sunny day, the views are truly breathtaking, making for an unforgettable experience. Tours to various areas, including flights over Reykjavik, Mt Hekla, the Westmann Islands, the Golden Circle and even day trips to Greenland, are available.
