North Iceland’s cultural life is centered around Hof Cultural and Conference Center (Menningarhúsið Hof) in Akureyri, the capital of the north. The modern circular building, which is inspired by Iceland’s columnar basalt igneous rocks, is one of Akureyri’s architectural gems and hosts musical and theatrical performances.
The city’s namesake museum focuses on the history of Akureyri, the Eyjafjörður fjord, and the region’s former inhabitants, displaying a collection of art, artifacts, and photographs dating back to the Settlement Era. The museum takes visitors on a journey through the past with reconstructions depicting everyday life throughout the ages.
Brúnir Horse is a small family-run company based on a farm in Eyjafjordur, North Iceland. Passionate about horse breeding, the family opened its farm to visitors wanting to learn more about the Icelandic horse and everyday life on an Icelandic farm. Here, take in a horse show, then browse the on-site art gallery.
The Icelandic Aviation Museum, housed in a large hangar at Akureyri Airport, displays a varied collection of large and small aircrafts, photographs, artifacts, and flight memorabilia. The museum devotes itself to preserving Iceland’s aviation history, such as documenting key moments like the country’s first flight in 1919.
In far northern Iceland, the extraordinary natural landscapes of Gjástykki are among the region’s most striking. Hewn from a series of eruptions by the neighboring Krafla volcano, the rift valley features 65-foot-high (20-meter-high) walls of lava rock and valleys of multicolored slag, still hot with volcanic activity.
