Island

Iceland was one of the last large lands in Europe to be settled. Irish monks may have visited earlier, but permanent settlement began in the late ninth century, traditionally dated to 874, when Norse settlers arrived, m…

The Northeastern Region, Norðurland eystra, is closely linked to one of the most famous moments in Iceland's history. According to tradition, after the Althing adopted Christianity around the year 1000, the lawspeaker Þ…

The Northwestern Region, Norðurland vestra, is home to Hólar in Hjaltadalur, which became the seat of Iceland's northern bishopric in 1106. For centuries Hólar was one of the country's great centres of church life and l…

The Westfjords, Vestfirðir, form a large, mountainous peninsula in northwestern Iceland, facing the east coast of Greenland across the Denmark Strait. It is joined to the rest of the island only by a narrow, seven-kilom…

Iceland's Western Region, Vesturland, is often called saga country. It was at Reykholt that the medieval writer and chieftain Snorri Sturluson lived, one of the most important figures in Icelandic literature, and the ar…

The Capital Region, Höfuðborgarsvæðið, surrounds Reykjavík, the place where, according to the Book of Settlement, Ingólfr Arnarson established Iceland's first permanent Norse farm around AD 870. From this starting point…

According to the Book of Settlement, Reykjavík was the site of Iceland's first permanent Norse settlement, founded by Ingólfr Arnarson around AD 870. Legend says he cast his high-seat pillars overboard and promised to s…

The Southern Peninsula, Suðurnes, takes its name from Reykjanes, the southwestern tip of the Reykjanes Peninsula. For generations, life on this rugged, lava-covered land was built around the sea: fishing villages grew u…

Iceland's Southern Region, Suðurland, is home to Þingvellir, where the Althing, one of the world's oldest parliamentary assemblies, was established around 930. For centuries, chieftains and farmers from across the islan…

Iceland's Eastern Region, Austurland, is defined by its jagged coastline of deep fjords, known as the Eastfjords. For centuries, life here was shaped by the sea and the mountains: small fishing villages grew up at the h…

I was in Iceland looking for the Aurora Borealis and took a big tour out to go find it. The space weather wasn't cooperative, but with the help of a 5 second exposure my camera captured some green dancing across the nig…

Northeastern Region (Icelandic: Norðurland eystra, pronounced [ˈnɔrðʏrˌlant ˈeistra] ) is one of the traditional eight regions of Iceland, located in the north of the island. The biggest town in the region is Akureyri, …

Northwestern Region (Icelandic: Norðurland vestra, pronounced [ˈnɔrðʏrˌlant ˈvɛstra] ) is one of the traditional eight regions of Iceland, located in the north of the island. The largest town in the region is Sauðárkrók…

Dynjandi waterfall – in Arnarfjörður, between Patreksfjörður and Suðureyri. Dynjandi is a 100-metre-tall waterfall and it is the tallest waterfall of the region. Vigur – island populated by birds. Boat trips are availab…

The Westfjords or West Fjords (Icelandic: Vestfirðir, pronounced [ˈvɛstˌfɪrðɪr̥] ) is a large peninsula in northwestern Iceland and an administrative region, the least populous in the country. It lies on the Denmark Stra…

Natural beauty is the main attraction of the region, particularly Snæfellsnes and the islands of Breiðafjörður. Deildartunguhver – Europe's biggest hot spring, measured in amounts of water. Close to Reykholt. Snæfellsn…

Western Region (Icelandic: Vesturland, pronounced [ˈvɛstʏrˌlant] ) is one of the traditional eight regions of Iceland, located on the western coast of the island. As of 2024, the region has a population of 17,419. == R…

The Capital Region (Icelandic: Höfuðborgarsvæðið ) is a region in southwestern Iceland. It is one of the two classified Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS-2) statistical regions of Iceland. The regio…

Reykjavík's old town is small and easy to walk around. The houses have some very distinct features, most notably their brightly colored corrugated metal siding. Plan to spend at least a couple hours just wandering aroun…

According to legend, the first permanent Norse settlement in Iceland was established at Reykjavík by Ingólfr Arnarson circa AD 870, as described in the Book of Settlement. Ingólfr is said to have decided the location of…