Iceland (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Fran Parnell [77]
Next door, Sívertsen’s Hús (Vesturgata 6; 11am-5pm Jun-Aug) is a beautiful 19th-century home belonging to merchant Bjarni Sívertsen, once the most important man in Hafnarfjörður. It’s decked out with period pieces – a piano, rich drapes, woven wallpaper, mahogany furniture, delicate crockery and silver spoons.
To take on board the huge contrast between Bjarni’s lifestyle and the typical impoverished Icelander’s, you can visit another home from the same period – the tiny restored fishing hut Siggubær (Sigga’s House; Kirkjuvegur 10; 11am-5pm Sat & Sun Jun-Aug), next to the park at Hellisgerði.
New additions to the museum are Beggubúð (Begga’s Shop; Vesturgata 6; 11am-5pm Jun-Aug), a shop laid out as it was in 1906; and Bookless Bungalow (Vesturgata 32; 11am-5pm daily Jun-Aug, 11am-5pm Sat & Sun Sep-May), once the home of two Scottish brothers heavily involved in Hafnarfjörður’s fishing industry, and now containing an exhibition on fishing.
Well worth a look, the upbeat modern-art gallery Hafnarborg ( 555 0080; www.hafnarborg.is; Strandgata 34; free admission; 11am-5pm Wed, Fri-Mon, to 9pm Thu) has two floors of regularly changing exhibitions, and occasional musical concerts.
On a fine day, muse over the 12 large-scale works making up the town’s sculpture park (Víðistaðatún) or visit Hellisgerði (Reykjavíkurvegur), a peaceful park filled with lava grottoes and apparently one of the favourite places of the hidden people. Another pleasant stroll is to the home of elfish royalty, Hamarinn Cliffs, where there’s a lookout and view disc.
Activities & Tours
From April to October, Sjósigling ( 562 5700; www.sjosigling.is; adult/6-12yr €45/22) runs three-hour whale-watching trips into Faxaflói bay on the wooden ship Númi.
Find out if you have second sight on a 45-minute Hidden Worlds tour ( 694 2785; www.alfar.is; per person Ikr3300; 2.30pm Tue & Fri Jun-Aug), a guided storytelling walk around the homes of the hidden people, departing from the tourist office. It’s rather pricey, although a copy of the Hidden Worlds map is included in the cost, marking the Hafnarfjörður homes of elves, fairies, hermits and dwarves.
Inland there are loads of walking trails in the tree plantations around lake Hvaleyrarvatn and on the slopes of the mini-mountain Helgafell (338m) – shown on the free map Ratleikur, available from the tourist office.
There are three good swimming pools in town, including the spanking brand-new indoor Ásvallalaug ( 512 4050; Ásvellir 2; adult/child Ikr300/100; 6am-10pm Mon-Fri, 8am-8pm Sat & Sun) and old-time outdoor favourite Suðurbæjarlaug ( 565 3080; Hringbraut 77; adult/child Ikr300/100; 6.30am-9.30pm Mon-Fri, 8am-6.30pm Sat, 8am-5.30pm Sun). There’s also a golf course ( 565 3360; www.keilir.is; Steinholt 1), built on a lava field and edged by the ocean.
If you fancy a trot, the horse farm Íshestar (Click here) is based in Hafnarfjörður.
The diving company Diveiceland.com ( 699 3000; www.diveiceland.com) is also based in Hafnarfjörður. They run dive trips to þingvellir, Akureyri and the Vestmannaeyjar – see the website for upcoming tours.
Festivals
In mid-June the peace is shattered as Viking hordes invade town for the six-day Viking festival. Its staged fights and traditional craft demonstrations are centred on the Fjörukráin hotel.
Sleeping
Hafnarfjörður Guesthouse & Campsite ( 565 0900, 895 0906; www.hafnarfjordurguesthouse.is; Hjallabraut 51; sb dm/s/d Ikr2000/4000/5000, linen per stay Ikr1000, camping per adult/14-18yr Ikr900/450; mid-May–mid-Sep; ) Overlooking the strange sculptures of the Víðistaðatún park, this ‘guest house’, run by the Icelandic Scouts, offers basic hostel-style accommodation in a stylish decking, glass and concrete building. Good facilities include kitchen, washing machine and internet access. The campsite is sheltered by a bushy row of trees; campers can use the guest house kitchen, and also have their own smart new toilet and laundry block. The future of this place was looking uncertain at the time of writing: phone first.