Hallgrímskirkja is defined by its soaring concrete facade, where tiers of vertical stone columns fan outward to mirror the natural basalt lava flows found at Iceland's Svartifoss waterfall. Standing seventy-four and a half meters tall,…
Reykjavík Downtown and Harbor Walk
This walk takes you from the towering heights of Hallgrímskirkja to the waterfront's iconic glass-facade Harpa Concert Hall. Along the way, we will stroll down the colorful Rainbow Street, visit historic political grounds, and sample the city's favorite street food.
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1. Hallgrimskirkja
2. Skólavörðustígur Rainbow Street
The most striking feature of Skólavörðustígur is the vibrant rainbow painted directly onto the asphalt, creating a colorful path that climbs steeply uphill. This street stretches about five hundred meters from the intersection with…
3. Tjörnin
Tjörnin is a shallow, freshwater pond in the center of Reykjavík that stretches between rows of colorful houses and major civic buildings like the City Hall. With an average depth of less than two feet, it originated as a tidal lagoon…
4. Alþingishúsið
Alþingishúsið, the Icelandic parliament house, is defined by its exterior walls of dark, hewn dolerite, a volcanic stone that gives the nineteenth-century building a heavy, rugged appearance. It stands at the edge of Austurvöllur square in…
5. Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur
Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur is a small, family-run hot dog stand that has operated in Reykjavík since nineteen thirty-seven. You can identify the original location by the persistent line of people waiting outside a modest kiosk that occupies…
6. Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre
Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre stands along the waterfront with a shimmering facade of twelve-sided glass modules. These panels, designed by artist Olafur Eliasson in collaboration with Henning Larsen Architects, mimic the…
7. Sun Voyager
The Sun Voyager is a stainless steel sculpture that gleams against the North Atlantic waterfront, its skeletal frame forming an abstract vessel that catches the shifting light of the sea and sky. While many visitors mistake it for a Viking…