Iceland Times
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Description of more than 300 places all around Iceland With High-quality photos and maps With Contact information and QR-code to use with your smartphone With Colour-coded sections for easy reference and reading Additional online content and updates at ISBN 978-9979-72-292-2 www.icelandictimes.com Iceland celandic Times Extra is an extensive and informative book about the Icelandic Tourist Industry. It contains articles from the first 16 issues of Icelandic Times magazine as well as a number of brand new articles onI nature, natural wonders, birds and wildlife, towns and villages, museums and galleries, swimming pools, activities, curiosities, accommodation, restaurants, design and handicraft – and the endless exciting possibilities available to our guests. The winter wonders with the Nordic Lights, the summer season with the Midnight Sun. Whether it is fising, sailing, horse-riding, skiing, snow-mobiling, adventure tours, hiking, mountaineering, river-rafting, glacier-tours, hang-gliding, or just plain relaxation in the tranquil nature, here you will find the best possibilities on offer in Iceland. The book travels clock-wise around Iceland, starting in Reykjavík – at 08.00 – with maps for villages and towns, as well as greater areas. There is vast information on each of the ten main areas, their specialities and interest points; Reykjavík, West Coast, Westfjords, North-West, North-East, East, South-East, South, South-West and, of course, the Highlands. The tourist industry is an ever-growing field and thus we do not claim to give a complete account of the possibilities – but we are close. You can be pretty sure you‘ll fid everything you need in this book. Editor in Chief and Publisher IcelandicInformation about Iceland Times at Your Fingertips Extra t took a volcano to bring Iceland to the centre stage in the eyes The autumn brings change as the sheep are gathered from the of the world. From being Europe’s Best Kept Secret, the country mountains and sorted by farm in the réttir – fast becoming a popular wasI suddenly thrust into the limelight, making Iceland a top tourist tourist attraction. The light and colours transform the landscape. destination. Many thousands of people all over the world are seeking In winter, the ski slopes draw enthusiasts from many countries information about Iceland and the number of visitors is burgeoning. while the awesome Northern Lights fill the night skies, sometimes This first issue of the Icelandic Times Extra introduces Iceland in for hours on end. Hikers and mountaineers are rewarded by breath- all its facets. It provides a valuable resource of information that you taking views in the silence and solitude of the snow-covered land can use to plan your trip and use as you travel. It answers those basic away from the towns. Super-jeep tours take anyone, regardless of questions of where to stay, where to go, where to eat and what to physical fitness, to the glaciers and peaks of the Highlands, which do and buy. It contains a wealth of information about the country, are especially spectacular during winter months. its nature, culture, customs, history, recreational activities and lifestyle. You will be taken around the country, just as if you were The Life of the Night driving from Reykjavík, visiting the towns and villages, with their The nightlife and restaurant scene in Iceland is legendary. Some museums, restaurants, hotels and camp sites, handcraft shops and of the best restaurants are found in little villages. Visitors find galleries. Travelling through the countryside, the natural wonders themselves welcomed and drawn into the enjoyment of the nights are revealed, the birds and wildlife captured in spectacular photos by wherever they find themselves. Christmas and New Year bring age- renowned expert, Jóhann Óli Hilmarsson and the Northern Lights old traditions and modern parties to life with displays that draw recorded by famed photographer, Olgeir Andrésson, making it a tourists from all over the world. fascinating read for anyone interested in the Land of Fire and Ice. About the Icelandic Times The Life of the Seasons This, then, is Iceland and the Icelandic Times Extra will guide you This is a country that dramatically changes with the seasons. The through it, help you find out more information about any aspect that spring brings the birds from all over the world and the bird watchers interests you and provide you with a comprehensive picture of this and photographers follow them. The summer brings golfers to play country that still holds many secrets for you to discover. under the midnight sun; campers, hikers, and nature lovers to It is updated on a bi-monthly basis on the Icelandic Times website, explore the countryside. Round the coast, whale- and seal-watching where you will also find much more information and videos about combine with enjoying sights like the puffin and fishing, whilst the country and its people. All this can be accessed easily on your inland, horse-riding tours, glacier walks, mountaineering, river- smartphone using the QR codes that are included in the contact rafting and bathing in geothermal pools vie for attention with the information throughout the book. magnificent and unique natural wonders that are making Iceland We hope you enjoy reading the book and it inspires you to such a thrilling place to visit. experience what we love: Iceland in all its flavours. 3 Contents Contents Gems of Iceland ...............................................................6 First and last stop in Iceland ........................................112 Let the River Sing You to Sleep ................................... 205 The Mystery of Randulf’s Sea House .......................... 304 Fantasy Tours ......................................................338-339 Another taste of Ethiopia ............................................. 365 The Golden Circle .........................................................8-9 Skies Covered in Colours ......................................114-115 Refreshments on the Road ......................................... 206 Between Mountains and Fjord .................................... 305 True Comfort Food ..................................................... 340 The Chocolate Innovator ............................................. 365 A Very brief History of Iceland ........................................10 Adrenalin Pumping .......................................................117 Live Like an Outlaw ..................................................... 206 The French Connection .............................................. 305 Experience Excellence .................................................341 A Taste of Wild and Sweet........................................... 366 The Alþingi at Þingvellir ..................................................11 The Grindavík Experience .....................................118-119 Unrequited Love ...........................................................207 Sleep by the Seashore ................................................ 306 Skógar Folk and Transport Museum ........................... 342 Within The Golden Circle ............................................. 367 Iceland symbolised in clothes ........................................12 The Fisherman’s Friend................................................120 Coffee with the Schoolmaster ......................................207 What One Woman Can Do ...................................308-309 Hotel Skógar ............................................................... 343 Down Into the Depths.................................................. 367 Land of Contrasts ..........................................................13 A Different Iceland .......................................................120 Capital of Country ....................................................... 209 Just Begging to be Explored ........................................311 Hvolsvöllur: The Door to the Highlands ....................... 345 The Land of Health ...............................................368-369 Forging the Future ....................................................14-17 Mamma Mia .................................................................121 Horses, History and Nature .................................. 210-211 Comfortable Hótel Bláfell .............................................312 The Perfect Base Camp .............................................. 346 A Spring Evening in Stokkseyri ....................................370 Lessons from the Eruptions ......................................18-19 The Place to Stay in Grindavík .....................................122 Skagafjörður’s Treasure Trove ............................. 212-213 Embraced by the Nature of East Iceland ......................313 Souvenir Candy ........................................................... 346 Elegant Eating ..............................................................371 Lighting the night .....................................................20-21 Stakkavík .....................................................................123 Light in the North ................................................. 214-215 The Gateway to East Iceland ........................................315 Sitting Pretty ................................................................347 Birds of Southern Iceland .....................................372-373 Enjoy the Lights .......................................................22-23 Nature’s Nuances .........................................................124