Reykjavík Literary Trail

This walkable trail through the heart of Reykjavík’s UNESCO City of Literature connects historic writers' cafes, Nobel laureate landmarks, and the city’s most iconic independent bookstores.

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1. Gröndalshús

Gröndalshús is a small, red-timbered building located at the corner of Fischersund and Mjóstræti. It originally stood at Vesturgata sixteen before being relocated to this spot in the Grjótaþorp neighborhood. The house served as the home of…

2. Borgarbókasafnið Grófinni

Borgarbókasafnið Grófinni occupies a prominent building on Tryggvagata street, identifiable by the shared presence of the Reykjavík Museum of Photography and the Reykjavík City Archives within its walls. Known locally as Grófarhús, the…

3. Tómas Guðmundsson • (by Halla Gunnarsdóttir)

A bronze figure sits in a relaxed, contemplative pose on a simple wooden-slat bench near the shore of the Reykjavík Pond. The statue depicts the poet Tómas Guðmundsson, dressed as a young, elegant gentleman. He gazes outward from the park,…

4. Reykjavík Junior College

Reykjavík Junior College, known locally as Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík, is the oldest high school in Iceland. You can recognize the main building by its mid-nineteenth-century stone architecture, which is famously featured on the five…

5. Mokka Kaffi

Mokka Kaffi is identified by its raspberry-red exterior and the wood-paneled, booth-lined interior that has remained largely unchanged since the cafe opened in nineteen fifty-eight. Located on Skólavörðustígur, it holds the distinction of…

6. Hús máls og menningar

Hús máls og menningar occupies the corner of Laugavegur and Vegamótastígur, distinguished by its three floors of books and large street-level windows. The building served as a traditional bookstore for eighty years starting in nineteen…

7. Bókin Books

Bókin Books sits on the corner of Klapparstígur and Hverfisgata, distinguished by windows so densely packed with volumes that the interior remains largely obscured from the street. Founded in nineteen sixty-four, this bookstore operates as…

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