According to best-medical-schools, Iceland is an exciting country with many different Attractions. You should definitely not miss the Thingvellir National Park. In the park there is a wonderful flora and fauna to be seen, as well as the impressive Gullfoss waterfall, this is the largest waterfall in Europe.
It is also worth mentioning that the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates collide in par. Exactly here you can observe the plate tectonics above sea level particularly well like in no other place on earth. The park has been part of the World Heritage of UNESCO.
Worth seeing is also the volcanic island of Surtsey, it was created in November 1963 by an undersea volcanic eruption. The island is located about thirty kilometers from the southern coast of Iceland.
The island was named after the mythical figure of Ireland’s Surt, a Nordic fire giant, the enemy of the sir.
The island itself is under nature protection and may only be entered for research purposes.
The Hallgrim’s Church in Reykjavik is absolutely impressive. It has a 73 meter high tower that towers over all other buildings in the city. The church was built in 1945. It can accommodate 1200 people and is therefore the largest on the island.
An absolute must ind the geothermal hydropower plants, ten of which are located all over Iceland. The hydropower plants generate electricity with the help of geothermal energy. Reykjavik’s district heating also supplies the city and some nearby villages with hot thermal water. Geothermal district heating supplies more than fifty percent of Iceland’s residents with heat.
The National Library at Arngrimsgata is worth a visit and the National Museum next to it in Reykjavik should not be missed. The museum was founded in 1863 and only found its place in the current building in 1952.
In the National Museum you can learn a lot about the history of Iceland, especially from the ninth century until today. There are also documents from the Viking Age, various church works of art and objects from everyday life.
You should also see the National Gallery. But Arb? Jarsafn is an absolute highlight of the country. This is a museum village not far from Reykjavik. Arb? Jarsafn was opened in 1957. The opening was the result of hard work done the years before.
Buildings from all over the country were brought to the museum village to be rebuilt there. In the museum you can learn everything about the architecture, interior design and fashion of the past centuries in Iceland. On some Sundays you can even experience how people used to live and work.
Other interesting buildings in Iceland are the Land acquisition pavilion in Reykjavik, the Land acquisition center in Borgarnes, the emigration center Vesturfarasetrid etc.
There is definitely a long list of different historical buildings, museums or monuments to see.
But not only tourists interested in culture get their money’s worth in Iceland, nature lovers are not neglected either.
The country has some natural beauties to offer, such as the Strokkur geyser. The geyser is located in the southwest of the country and emits a twenty-meter-high fountain about every ten minutes.
The Vatnajökull glacier should also be seen. The glacier has an area of 8,410 square kilometers and is the largest in all of Europe.
Other interesting natural beauties would be the Skogafoss waterfall, Gullfoss, Glymur, Surtshellir, Hitardal and the Langjökull glacier.
Reykjavik in Iceland
Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, is the country’s oldest settlement. Reykjavik was founded in 870 and has been permanently inhabited ever since. In 1786 Reykjavik became the city but the development of the city was slow. It was not until 1920/30 that the city began, thanks to its profitable production of stockfish and its sale in other countries to grow steadily.
Reykjavik experienced a further boom after the Second World War, in which Iceland officially declared itself neutral. Living conditions have improved rapidly since the 1950s. During this time, more and more industrial companies settled in Reykjavik and agricultural technology was also constantly developing.
Reykjavik’s attractions are diverse and interesting. In the National Museum, opened in 1863, you can get an insight into Icelandic culture with its jewelry, church art, weapons and various everyday objects. The highlights of the museum are the silver hammer of Thor, the bronze statuette of the god Por and a church door richly decorated with carvings. Since the museum was reopened in 2004, the latest computer technology has provided an even more impressive insight into the history of Iceland.
In the large open-air museum of Reykjavik around thirty town houses and peat huts from the nineteenth century with the entire contemporary inventory can be viewed. You can also watch at work at certain times. The museum guards wear the costumes of that time during the tours.
Museums in Reykjavik that are worth a visit are the Natural History Museum, the Photography Museum and the modern sculpture garden on the beach in the suburb of Reykjavik-Vikur.
The cathedral is one of the oldest buildings in the city. This church was built at the end of the eighteenth century and was given a baptismal font in 1847 according to the construction plans of the Icelandic-Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldvaldsen.
A striking example of modern architecture is Hallgrimskirkja Church, which sits on top of a hill in the city. A special landmark of the city of Reykjavik is the 74.5 meter high tower of the church, from which one has an indescribably beautiful view over the city and the surrounding area.
Perlan is probably the most striking building in the city. The special thing about this building is the huge glass dome under which a tiny Saga museum, a few shops and an exclusive restaurant share the space with the gigantic hot water tank of the city.
