Austurstræti number eight is a distinct modern building along the pedestrian-only Austurstræti street. You can pick it out by the contemporary design of its facade, which occupies the ground once held by a historic two-story timber house…
Downtown Feline Lore
This walk takes you through the quiet streets of downtown Reykjavík to meet its most famous feline residents, uncover local cat folklore, and visit cozy cat-themed spaces. It's a whimsical, ground-level look at how free-roaming cats became the undisputed rulers of the Icelandic capital.
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1. Austurstræti 8
2. Lækjartorg
Lækjartorg, or Stream Square, marks the meeting point of Bankastræti, Lækjargata, and Austurstræti in downtown Reykjavík. The name refers to the small stream that once flowed here from the pond of Tjörnin toward the sea, shaping the city’s…
3. Grái kötturinn
Grái kötturinn occupies a small basement space on Hverfisgata that serves as a morning destination for those seeking American-style breakfast. Its name, which translates to The Grey Cat, refers to a mysterious feline that used to linger in…
4. Hjarta Reykjavíkur - The Heart of Reykjavik
Hjarta Reykjavíkur occupies a storefront on Laugavegur, the city’s busy main shopping street. This shop and workshop produces designs that feature the specific cats of downtown Reykjavík. The inventory includes a collection of prints and…
5. Kattakaffihúsið
Kattakaffihúsið is recognizable by the pink facade of its ground-floor storefront on Bergstaðastræti. Since opening on March first, two thousand eighteen, it has functioned as Iceland’s first and only cat cafe. The establishment provides a…
6. Hellusund
Hellusund is a quiet street in the historic Thingholt neighborhood, where narrow, winding lanes are tucked away from the main thoroughfares. This part of the city features a mix of traditional corrugated iron houses and colorful wooden…
7. Ófelia Cat
On Skólavörðustígur, the street rising toward the Hallgrímskirkja church, you might encounter a Ragdoll cat known as Ófelía. She became a local celebrity while frequently resting on a wool blanket at the Icemart souvenir shop near the…
8. The Einar Jónsson Museum
A fortress-like building with a solid early twentieth-century facade marks this final stop. Behind it, a sculpture garden holds twenty-six bronze figures of mythic creatures and gods, arranged among winding paths and hedges.