Arnarnes Paradis

In the harbour of Dalvík, at its southern end, is a little wooden bridge over the rock dam and offers access to a beautiful black sandy beach that invites to take a walk until you reach the delta of the river Svarfaðardalsá. Take a rest in the dunes and observe the rich birdlife.

Gásir is a unique place. In no other place in Iceland is it possible to find so many remainings from a trading post from the Middle Ages. Gásir was the main trading post in northern Iceland during the Middle Ages, and the place is mentioned many times in Old Icelandic Sagas from the 13th and 14th centuries. Archaeological digging in the area during the last six years has shown that it was a trading post up to the 16th century, possibly until trading started in Akureyri.

Each year in July Medieval life at Gásir is reconstructed with help from Icelandic craftsmen who wear medieval clothes and sell handicraft. Various handcrafts are on display; dyeing with plant extracts, wool-work, sewing, sewing leather and weaving.

In Akureyri, stopping at a red light is much more pleasant than elsewhere.

The red lights are heart-shaped!

The heart in the traffic lights have caught the attention of those visiting Akureyri and the hearts of the inhabitants.

The hearts lit up all over town as a consequence of the finance crash in Iceland in year 2008, when there was a need for some positive thinking and to put emphasis on what really matters.

Since then the red hearts in the traffic lights are visible as well as plenty of red hearts made of the flower "forget me not" decorating windows, cars and signs throughout the town.

A perfect place for a selfie with the red traffic light always glowing, is down by the harbor in the city center close to Hof Cultural house.

Use the hashtag #heartsofakureyri

A statue of Helgi magri (Helgi the lean)
and Þórunn hyrna (Þórunn the horned), the first settlers of the
area, about the year 890, stands on the Hamarkot Rocks on the street
Brekkugata near the police station.

The story tells that the parents of
Helgi handed him over for fostering into the Hebrides, and when they came there
two winters afterwards, he was so starved that they did not know him; they
brought him away with them and called him Helgi the lean. He was brought up in
Ireland, and when he was grown up, he married Þórunn hyrna (Þórunn the horned).
They moved to Iceland with their children and settled the whole of Eyjafjörður.
Helgi magri handed out parts of the settlement, which was very big, to his
children and kin but selected and built his own farm at a site which he
named Kristnes (Christ Cape) some 12 km south of Akureyri, a place where he
dwelt during the remainder of his life. Helgi believed in Christ and therefore
gave this name to his dwelling.

Þórunn hyrna, was the
daughter of Ketill flatnefur. Ketill Björnsson, nicknamed Flatnose (Flatnefur), who
was a chieftain of the Isles of the 9th century. All his children
settled big parts of Iceland, Þórunn hyrna in Eyjafjörður, Auður djúpúðga, at Hvammur in West-Iceland.
Her brother, Helgi bjóla, settled Kjalarnes and her other brother, Björn
austræni, settled Snæfellsnes and lived in Bjarnarhöfn.


The statue, which was made by Jónas S. Jakobsson in 1956, is located on top of
Hamarkotsklappir behind the Police station (Lögreglustöðin). About 5-10
min. walk from town center.

Two prominent streets in Akureyri are
named after these settlers - Helgamagrastræti street and Þórunnarstræti street
and the kindergarten Hólmasól is named after Helgi and Þórunn first child
(daughter) Next to the statue, one can find an old view-dial. On the view-dial is
written 1949 - Ferðafélag Akureyrar, but these view-dials show the names of the
surrounding mountains.

The Akureyri church is the symbol of Akureyri. It is a Lutheran church and was designed by the famous architect Gudjon Samuelsson and consecrated in 1940. The central stained-glass window above the altar formed a
part of a set originating from England. The bas-reliefs on the nave balcony are by sculptor Asmundur Sveinsson and the baptismal font is a replica of a work by sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen.

The church is above the town center.

Attention!
Please note that the church is closed
when funerals or other services are taking place and it is advertised
especially on the church door. For more information check the website akureyrarkirkja.is or send an email at akirkja@akirkja.is.