Iceland (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Fran Parnell [48]
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Gazing proudly into the distance outside is a statue of the Viking Leifur Eiríksson, the first European to stumble across America. It was a present from the USA on the 1000th anniversary of the Alþing.
Perlan & the Saga Museum
Looking like half of Barbarella’s bra, Perlan (Map; 562 0200; www.perlan.is; 10am-10pm) is a complex based around the huge hot-water tanks on Öskjuhlíð hill. It’s about 2km from the city centre (take bus 18 from Hlemmur).
The main attraction is the endearingly bloodthirsty Saga Museum (Map; 511 1517; www.sagamuseum.is; adult/child/concession Ikr1500/800/1000; 10am-6pm Apr-Sep, noon-5pm Oct-Mar), where Icelandic history is brought to life by eerie silicon models and a soundtrack of thudding axes and hair-raising screams. Don’t be surprised if you see some of the characters wandering around town, as moulds were taken from Reykjavík residents (the museum’s owner is Ingólfur Arnarson, and his daughters are the Irish princess and the little slave gnawing a fish!).
The hexagonal viewing deck offers a tremendous 360-degree panorama of Reykjavík and the mountains: multilingual recordings explain the scenery. There’s a busy cafe ( 10am-9pm) on the same level, so if it’s brass-monkey weather, you can admire the same beautiful views over coffee and crêpes. The mirrored dome on top of the tanks contains one of the city’s finer restaurants, Perlan.
Two artificial geysers will keep small children absolutely enthralled: the one inside blasts off every few minutes, while the outside geyser comes on in the afternoon. There are numerous walking and cycling trails on the hillside, including a path to Nauthólsvík hot beach Click here.
Volcano Show
Eccentric eruption-chaser Villi Knudsen is the photographer, owner and presenter of the fascinating Volcano Show (Map; 845 9548; vknudsen2000@yahoo.com; Red Rock Cinema, Hellusund 6a; adult/child 1hr show Ikr1300/free, 2hr show Ikr1800/free; in English 11am, 3pm & 8pm daily, in German 6pm daily, in French 1pm Sat Jul & Aug, in English 3pm & 8pm daily Sep & Apr-Jun, 8pm Oct-Mar), a film show that captures 50 years of Icelandic volcanoes. Although some of the footage is a bit old and wobbly, you’re still left reeling by images of the town Heimaey being crushed by molten lava, or the island Surtsey boiling its way out of the sea.
Museums
Displays at the National Museum (Þjóðminjasafn; Map; 530 2200; www.natmus.is; Suðurgata 41; adult/under 18yr/concession Ikr800/free/400, free Wed; 10am-5pm daily May–mid-Sep, 11am-5pm Tue-Sun mid-Sep–Apr) are well thought out and give an excellent overview of Iceland’s history and culture. The strongest section delves into the Settlement Era, with swords, silver hoards and a great little bronze model of Thor on display. However, the most treasured artefact in the museum is a beautiful 13th-century church door, carved with the touching story of a knight and his faithful lion! Upstairs, you really get a sense of the country’s poverty over the following 600 years. Simple, homey artefacts utilise every scrap: check out the gaming pieces made from cod ear bones, and the wooden doll that doubled as a kitchen utensil.
The city’s newest exhibition, Reykjavík 871 +/-2 (Settlement Exhibition; Map; 411 6370; www.reykjavik871.is; Aðalstræti 16; adult/13-18yr Ikr600/300; 10am-5pm), is based around a single 10th-century Viking house but shows what miracles can be achieved when technology, archaeology and imagination meet. Through 21st-century wizardry, a fire leaps from the hearth, while around the walls ghostly settlers materialise to tend crops, hunt, launch a boat, and bury their dead. Go and marvel!
Creeping into the darkened rooms of the Culture House (Þjóðmenningarhúsið; Map; 545 1400; www.thjodmenning.is; Hverfisgata 15; adult/under 16yr/concession Ikr300/free/200, free Wed; 11am-5pm) is a true thrill