Reykjavik
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Skarðsvík Beach: One of Iceland’s Few non-Black Beaches
Skarðsvík Beach is located on the northwestern end of Iceland’s Snæfellesnes Peninsula overlooking the ocean. While most of the beaches in Iceland are made up of volcanic rock, and are therefore blacks, dark browns and bits of red, Skarðsvík Beach is one of the few “blonde” beaches, meaning that the sand has a golden brown…
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Rainbow Road: Celebration of Diversity and Equality in Reykjavik (Iceland)
As you are walking around downtown Reykjavik, you will no doubt come across “Rainbow Road” or Skólavörðustígur, where a large rainbow covers the main part of the pedestrian street. The rainbow road has been painted several times, starting out initially as a temporary as a celebration of Reykjavik Pride. However it became a permanent feature…
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Hallgrímskirkja: Rekyjavik’s Basalt Column-inspired Cathedral (Iceland)
At the heart of Reykjavik sits Hallgrímskirkja, the island’s largest church (I want to call it a cathedral but it is not) and its second tallest building (74.5 metres/244 ft). Named after a famous Icelandic poet and clergyman, Hallgrímur Pétursson, construction on this Protestant Lutheran church began in 1945 and was completed in 1986. The church…
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Harpa Center: Reykjavik’s Answer to Modern Art and Architecture (Iceland)
Near downtown Reykjavik is the Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre – or Harpa – which opened in 2011. Since then it has won several awards since then, including the 2013 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award, which is very prestigious. Harpa’s façade is primarily made of glass. The…
