Sightseeing
Sightseeing Overview
Reykjavik is a very easy city to negotiate on foot so the best initial advice is to head for the Tourist Information Centre and stock up on some maps and recommended walking routes. Reykjavik has two landmarks that offer views over the city to aid orientation: the Perlan (on Öskjuhlíd Hill) and the 75m-high (230ft) Hallgrímskirkj church (in the centre of town). A visit to the top of either of these is the best way for visitors to become acquainted with the city’s layout.
The very heart of Reykjavik lies between the Atlantic Ocean and the pleasant Tjörnin lake to the north. In-between lies the centre of the city with flat, wide streets housing bars, cafés, hotels, museums and art galleries. The modern Icelandic National Gallery lies right on the edge of the lake, while the National Museum lies just to the south. Just north of Tjörnin is Austurvollur, an attractive square popular with sunworshippers in the warmer months and also home to the Alping, the Icelandic parliament. Also in the city centre are the three branches of the Reykjavik Art Museum: the Harbour House, Ásmundur Sveinsson Sculpture Museum and Kjarvalsstadethir. Heading east and uphill on Laugavegur, the city’s main thoroughfare, are many of the city’s best shops, cafés, restaurants and bars. Outside the city centre and easily accessible by bus or on a longer walk are the Árbaer Open-Air Folk Museum and the Sigurjon Olafsson Museum. Dotted around the city are six geothermal swimming baths that come complete with hot pots, which make the perfect venue to relax in after a hard day’s sightseeing at any time of year.
Tourist Information
Tourist Information Centre
Bankastraeti 2
Tel: 562 3045. Fax: 562 3057.
E-mail: tourinfo@tourinfo.is
Website: www.tourist.reykjavik.is
Opening hours: Daily 0830-1900 (summer); Mon-Sat 0900-1700, Sun 1000-1400 (winter).
Information is also available from the City Hall Information Service, City Hall, Vonarstraeti. There are plans to open a brand-new Reykjavik Complete visitor centre in a renovated building in the city centre by summer 2003, as the city looks to boost the number of visitors and the facilities available for them.
Passes
Available for one (IKr1000), two (IKr1500), or three (IKr2000) days, the Reykjavik Card offers unlimited transport on city buses, as well as admission to six geothermal swimming pools and most museums and galleries. It can be purchased from the Tourist Information Centre, the City Hall, the BSÍ central bus station, hotels, guesthouses, museums and pools.
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