Rated the third happiest city in the world, Reykjavík is Iceland’s largest city and lies on the coast. “Reykjavík” roughly translates to “Cove of Smoke” in English, which may be attributed to the volcanoes and smoke around what is now the capital city of Iceland. With its distinctive seasons, the best time to travel to Reykjavík is between June and August, when the sun shines almost twenty-four hours a day and the weather is mild and pleasant.
A modern cathedral with an ethnic Icelandic touch, the Hallgrimskirkja is the largest church in the city, the tower of which can be seen from nearly anywhere in Reykjavík. It is said that the designer, the late Guðjón Samúelsson, drew his inspiration from the eccentric shapes lava would take as it cooled into basalt rock. German organ builder Johanne Klais of Bonn constructed a giant pipe organ that can powerfully produce sounds to echo through the church and fill it with a divine sonority.
There are records which suggest that Leifur Eiríksson came to the shores of America 500 years before Christopher Columbus did (that’s 1000 AD). Leifur Eiríksson was one of the Vikings (Norse Pirates) who later settled in Iceland. Poised in front of the Hallgrimskirkja—and fifteen years older to it—is a statue of the first European to discover America. It is certainly worth looking at.
The National and Saga museums in Reykjavík bring alive the defining moments in Icelandic history that have shaped the life of the people there today. Through eruptions and avalanches, Icelanders have endured some very difficult times—including the Black Death, which was the ruination of a third of the population.
The many exhibitions at the National Museum have an array of artefacts that take you to medieval Iceland. There is also a permanent display which illustrates Iceland’s journey from the era of the Vikings to the modern-day contemporary world. The Saga Museum displays “the Icelandic Sagas” through a guided tour of the museum that is offered with an audio-guide available in over six languages.
How can one expect to miss the most popular Northern Lights while visiting this Iceland? the Auroras dance in the winter night sky to the rhythm of your soul. The lights are a result of ionization in the sky, but their ethereal movements are an emblem of the poetry of nature. Flashes of green, blue, and pink lights all across the sky, and the stars lilting in the backdrop—what a sight! The Aurora Borealis is truly one of the most spectacular aspects of Icelandic nature. The official season for the Northern Lights in Reykjavík is between October to March. You can just drive far out of the city at night and watch the Aurora Borealis grace the winter sky… a memory to cherish for a lifetime.
Reykjavík really is the place to visit for a fairytale vacation. Where development and technology have not taken away from the medieval essence of the heritage and nature never forgets to stupefy, magic knows no bounds. Take the most unforgettable holiday ever in Iceland and leave with your soul renewed by the sheer beauty of the city.
