Reykjavik
Art, History & Archaeology Sites & Museums

From a 13th century farmhouse, in its original position, to a re-constructed upper class town square with its 19th and 20th century two story buildings, this open air museum explores the early history of Reykjavik. Each house has been staged with period specific artefacts, allowing visitors to see what daily life was like in Iceland for farmers, fisherman and city dwellers. One of the buildings, in which the first worker’s guild was formed, houses a permanent exhibition that charts the history and development of consumption in Reykjavik.

A permanent exhibition entitled ‘Points of View’ is an extraordinary exploration of the visual cultures of Iceland. Objects from six Icelandic museums and institutions are on display; juxtaposing contemporary artworks of various style, medium and date with museum artefacts and archival objects such as books and maps. A highlight of the museum is the display of the Icelandic Law Code, the Jónsbók – 14 illuminated manuscripts dating from the 13th century to the present day.

The quaint whitewashed house located on the Reykjavik waterfront is the Höfði. Although the building and the site has a long history, it is best known for the meeting between Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan in October 1986. Although no agreement was reached at the Reykjavik Summit, the meeting is widely regarded as the beginning of the end of the Cold War. The house was built in 1909 by a French consul, became the residence of poet and businessman Einar Benediktsson as well as the location of the British Embassy. Today the house is is used by the city for official functions and is not open to the public.

A permanent exhibition entitled ‘Points of View’ is an extraordinary exploration of the visual cultures of Iceland. Objects from six Icelandic museums and institutions are on display; juxtaposing contemporary artworks of various style, medium and date with museum artefacts and archival objects such as books and maps. A highlight of the museum is the display of the Icelandic Law Code, the Jónsbók – 14 illuminated manuscripts dating from the 13th century to the present day.

Perlan is situated on Öskjuhlíð hill, the highest point in Reykjavik. Since 1991 the facility has been open to the public as a natural history museum. Visitors can experience the world’s first ever indoor ice cave, reconstructed in one of the six water tanks built in the 1980s. On top of these water tanks is a large glass dome, which has an observation deck giving a 360° view of surrounding Reykjavík. Exhibitions tell the natural history of Iceland, the geological processes that created the island and the waters that surround it. A state-of-the-art planetarium shows an amazing film about the northern lights.

The focus of the museum is a permanent exhibition that features 2,000 objects and 1,000 photographs. ‘Making of a Nation’ charts the history of Iceland in chronological order from its earliest settlers to the 20th century. Some of the finest and most intriguing archaeological finds are made more accessible through ingenious multimedia displays. The shear diversity of objects, from Roman coins brought to the island by Vikings to the airport, will capture anyone’s attention.

The Saga Museum tells the story of Iceland’s history from when settlers first arrived in the 800s through to the 1550s. Key points of this period, known as the Saga Age, are reconstructed in life-size dioramas. An audio-guided tour, available in a number of different languages, explains the displays. There are 17 in total, from the making of Iceland to the first inhabitants, from the lack Death to the Reformation. The tour concludes with a silent film on the museum’s creation by owner and artist Ernst Backman.

In 2001 workers digging in Reykjavik city centre came across the remains of a Viking longhouse dating to the 10th century. Later excavations revealed that the building was on top of an earlier structure dated to 871 ±2 AD – making this the oldest evidence of human habitation on the island. The remarkable find has been preserved in situ, and an extraordinary multimedia exhibition using state-of-the-art interactive technologies suitable for people of all ages reveals the world of Iceland’s earliest settlers.