Obesity has been a hot topic in Iceland in recent months and some claim the rate is one of the highest in Europe.
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After a nasty cold spell with frosty temperatures and snowfall in north and east Iceland, summer arrived in all parts of the country last weekend with the temperature reaching 15°C (59°F) in the southwest. As of Wednesday, temperatures are expected to take a steep upwards swing in north and east Iceland.
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Click on the picture to watch an audio slideshow of how traditional Icelandic pancakes are made. They are different from what people call pancakes in many parts of the world; small, round, thin and sweet and are either rolled up with sugar or wrapped up in squares filled with jam—often blueberry—and whipped cream.
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Fjallabyggd (“Mountain Settlement”) is a skier’s dream. Its slopes are perfect for slaloming and there are also tracks for telemark skiing. Winter sport enthusiasts can also go ice skating, rent snowmobiles and try ice fishing.
Fjallabyggd (pop. 2,200) is a municipality in northeast Iceland uniting the towns Ólafsfjördur and Siglufjördur. The distance between the towns dropped to 15 kilometers from up to 234 kilometers with the opening of a new tunnel in 2010.
In summer, Fjallabyggd turns into a paradise for hikers. There are a variety of hiking paths in the majestic landscape. Tourists are also drawn to the black-sand beaches and the peaceful Ólafsfjardarvatn Lake.
Hobby fishers can choose from a range of locations. Apart from rod fishing in the lake, they can fish in the rivers Ólafsfjardará and Hólsá, try their luck with sea angling on Hédinsfjördur fjord or simply toss their baited hook off the pier.
Midnight cruises, some of which cross the Arctic Circle, are available and they can be combined with hiking trips. Fjallabyggd has activities for everyone; it also has two nine-hole golf courses and two thermal swimming pools.
Siglufjördur prides itself of its award-winning museum Síldarminjasafnid, which documents the “silver of the sea” era, herring fishing and processing in Iceland. The natural history museum in Ólafsfjördur displays different species of stuffed birds.
Accommodation and tourist services:
- Brimnes Hotel and Cabins (Bylgjubyggd 2, 625 Ólafsfjördur, Tel: +354 466-2400, hotel@brimnes.is, www.brimnes.is).
- Siglufjördur Tourist Service (Tel: +345 467-2293, siguro@simnet.is, www.siglo-travel.is).
- Hvanneyri Guesthouse (Adalgata 10, 580 Siglufjördur, Tel: +354 467-1506 and +354 864-1850, order@hvanneyri.com, www.hvanneyri.com).
- Raudka Guesthouse, Siglufjördur (opens in spring or summer).
- Burstabrekka Guesthouse, Ólafsfjördur (opens in spring or summer).
Shops/restaurants:
- Gas Station Sölvar (Tjarnargata, 580 Siglufjördur, Tel: +354 467-1415).
- Bío Café - Restaurant (Aðalgata 30, 580 Siglufjördur, Tel: +354 467-1111).
- Höllin ehf (Hafnargata 16, 625 Ólafsfjördur, Tel: +354 466- 4000).
- Olísskálinn gas station and fast food outlet (Bylgjubyggd 2, 625 Ólafsfjördur, Tel: +354 466-2272).
- Pizza 67 (Adalgata 32, 580 Siglufjördur, Tel: +354 467-2323).
Attractions/places of interest:
- Garún Art Gallery (Adalgata 7, 625 Ólafsfjördur).
- Hófý Ceramic Gallery (Túngata 15, 625 Ólafsfjördur).
- Frida.is Art Gallery (Túngata 40a, 580 Siglufjörður, Tel +354 467-1173, frida@frida.is, www.frida.is).
- Sigló Art Gallery (Sudurgata 6, 580 Siglufjördur).
- The Bergthór Mortens Art Gallery (The Tynes House, 580 Siglufjördur).
Events/exhibitions:
- Síldarminjasafnid – The Icelandic Herring Era Museum (Snorragata 15, 580 Siglufjördur, Tel: +354 467-1604, safn@sild.is, www.herring.siglo.is).
- Þjódlagasetur Sr. Bjarna Thorsteinssonar – The Rev. Bjarni Thorsteinsson Folk Music Centre (Nordurgata 1, 580 Siglufjördur, Tel: +354 467-2300, setur@siglo.is, www.siglo.is/setur).
- Museum of Natural History (Adalgata 14, 625 Ólafsfjördur, Tel: +354 466-2651).
- Folk Music Festival in Siglufjördur, July 2 to 6.
- Culture festival “Berry Days” in Ólafsfjördur, August 15 to 17.
For further information visit www.fjallabyggd.is or call +354 464-9200 (Ólafsfjördur) and +354 464-9100 (Siglufjördur).
Click on the picture for a larger map.
Quotes about Siglufjördur from the recently released Bradt Iceland Guide by Andrew Evans:
“This is the kind of town where nobody locks their doors, where everyone knows each other, but where outsiders are as welcome as the sun.”
“A most remarkable trek crosses the eastern mountains at the Hestskard Pass and down into the untouched Hédinsfjördur or “heathen’s fjord”. Free of roads, traffic, people and towns, this may very well be the most pristine fjord in the whole country.”
 is a skier%E2%80%99s dream. Its slopes are perfect for slaloming and there are also tracks for telemark skiing. Winter sporting enthusiasts can also go ice skating or rent snowmobiles. In summer, Fjallabyggd turns into a paradise for hikers. Read this special promotion about one of Iceland%E2%80%99s best hidden gems.')){kind=link}
The current issue of the quarterly magazine Iceland Review includes interviews with fashion photographer Saga Sig and conceptual artist Rúrí. Also, we take you to Grímsstaðir á Fjöllum, that desolate land coveted by a Chinese tycoon, and also explore Icelandic archeological remains. We discuss the Icelandic Church, the flourishing gaming industry, debate the future of Iceland’s energy resources and interview the president of the Icelandic National League of North America. Subscribe now and receive a free photo book by IR’s editor Páll Stefánsson of the Eyjafjallajökull eruptions. Click here to subscribe to the magazine and here to buy a gift subscription.
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Tilbury’s debut album Exorcise feels kind of like getting drunk in the sun and I recommend you break in the summer with their juicy single “Tenderloin”.
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Since 1919, the Icelandic National League of North America has greatly contributed to North American cultural life while celebrating its members’ heritage. Its current president and Honorary Consul of Toronto, Gail Einarson-McCleery, told Ásta Andrésdóttir about the life of the 19th-century immigrants and the importance of connecting with one’s roots.
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The large-scale collaborative “(I)ndependent People” is part of the ongoing Reykjavík Arts Festival, May 18 to June 3, and takes place at a cluster of museums, galleries, artist-run spaces and institutions in the capital area. Focusing on visual art from the Nordic region, “(I)ndependent People” asks if and how collaboration can operate in negotiation between contesting ideas and desires, and yet allow for unplanned action.
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