A Central Point

As short as a 20 minute drive from Húsavík can take you to a variety of interesting museums as well as many of Iceland?s most beautiful and well-known natural treasures.

At Grenjaðarstaður in Aðaldalur, the turf farmhouse and rectory built in 1865 is now a part of the District Folk Museum.

The Transportation Museum at Ystafell was opened in the year 2000.  The farmer/museum-curator has been collecting a wide variety of vehicles for decades.

The Fossil Museum at Hallbjarnarstaðir on the Tjörnes peninsula north of Húsavík, has maps and samples of earth formations found on the peninsula dating back to the ice age.  Truly a unique location in the world! 

The Folk Museum at Mánárbakki, also on the Tjörnes peninsula, displays artifacts dated back to the first settlement all the way through to today´s world.

Another short drive from Húsavík will take you to yet another breathtaking scene of nature.  The mist from the 11 m high waterfall Goðafoss can be seen many kilometers away.  Aldeyjarfoss, is noted for the columnar basalt that surrounds the waterfall.  Both waterfalls are in the river Skjálfandafljót, Iceland?s fourth longest river, 178 km, which originates from the glacier Vatnajökull.  A jeep trail leads up to Þeistareykir, with two craters called Major- and Minor-Hell, or Big and Little Hell, 140 and 700 m in diameter.

The lake Vestmannsvatn in Aðaldalur (2.4 km2) is mostly shallow but reaches a depth of 10 m, fishing permits are required.  Fishing permits for Lake Ljósavatn, (3.2 km2 and 35 m deep) are available at Hotel Edda at Stórutjarnir.  Other lakes in the area that offer trout fishing are Kringluvatn and Langavatn.  Permits for those two lakes are available at Heiðarbær in Reykjahverfi, which also has a swimming pool and camping site.

The most renowned lake in Iceland is Lake Mývatn.  The lake is situated in the midst of a most intriguing landscape, making it Iceland?s most popular tourist resort.  The lake is Iceland?s fourth largest lake (36.4 km2) with an average depth of 2 m and 4.2 m at it?s deepest.  This spectacular region provides nesting grounds for one of the world?s largest concentration of duck species.  One of which are the American Barrow?s Goldeneye (Bucephala islandica), laying their eggs here in North Iceland, the only location within Europe.  Also located in the Mývatn area are Dimmuborgir, extraordinary lava formations; Námaskarð, solfataras (sulphurous mud springs) and fumaroles (steam springs); and Skútustaðagígar, a cluster of pseudo craters.

Running out from Lake Mývatn is one of Iceland?s best known and sought after salmon fishing rivers, Laxá.  The average water flow is 45 m3 per second, running north on it?s way out to sea in Skjálfandaflói, with 340 small islands and islets in the river, providing various birds with myriads of nesting grounds.

The National Park in Jökulsárgljúfur is a true delicacy for the eye.  Fantastic rock and earth formations create such sites as Ásbyrgi, Hljóðaklettar and Hólmatungur.  Nearby is Europe´s most powerful waterfall, Dettifoss, 44 m high, with a year-round average water discharge of 180 m3 per second.  The raging cascades are part of the icy waters of the glacial river Jökulsá á Fjöllum, as well as Hafragilsfoss, 26 m high.

Laxárvirkjun is a water power plant located in a beautiful gorge not far from Húsavík, with most of the constructions underground. The first section of the plant was built in 1939, additions have been made since and now it consists of three power stations.  Inside the power plant are regularly held cultural art exhibitions.  This year?s exhibit of Hallsteinn Sigurðsson?s Nordic mythology sculptures, continues on from last year. Kröfluvirkjun in Mývatnssveit is a geothermal power plant, transforming the earth?s heat into electricity.

At Hveravellir in Reykjahverfi, the geothermal warmth has been utilized for horticultural purposes since 1904.  Freshly grown vegetables and plants are sold right out of the greenhouses.  Right next door is Heiðarbær with a swimming pool and camping grounds.