Akureyri

Akureyri combines urban culture with a distinctive river landscape and a geothermally heated swimming pool. When choosing your holiday apartment, you can consider which aspects of the town you want to shape your stay: local history, art, walks or bathing facilities. Free public bus services are another practical factor to consider when getting around Akureyri.

A river landscape and a garden open year-round

The Glerá River runs through Akureyri, mostly through a steep gorge. Walking paths follow the river, adding a distinctive landscape feature to the town. If you enjoy spending time outdoors, you can make these paths a focus of your trip. The Akureyri Botanical Garden is open year-round and is fully accessible to visitors with reduced mobility. This brings together different interests: the river landscape and its walking paths, and a garden that is accessible throughout the year.

Local history in exhibitions and historic streets

The Akureyri Museum has two permanent exhibitions on the history of the region, from settlement to the present day. They are titled “Eyjafjorður from Early Times” and “Akureyri – the Town on the Bay”. Together, they span a broad period, from early settlement to the present day. For travellers who want to discover the town through more than its landscape, regional history offers another way to get to know Akureyri.

The old town also tells the story of the city’s development. Many of Akureyri’s oldest houses have been preserved there, along with the original street layout. Laxdalshús is the oldest building in the city and was built in 1795. The preserved houses and street layout give the old town its distinctive historic character. Anyone interested in architectural history and urban development will find a particular reason to explore Akureyri on foot here.

Art and aviation as further discoveries

Kaupvangsstræti, also known as Art Street, is considered the centre of cultural life in Akureyri and runs through Grófargil. The name points to the cultural significance of this street, but your interests need not be limited to museums: on a walk through Akureyri, you can see many works of art in public spaces and learn about them. This makes art in the urban landscape part of your explorations.

The Icelandic Aviation Museum at Akureyri Airport offers a different subject to explore. It documents Iceland’s aviation history through photographs, videos, artefacts, models and historic aircraft. The exhibits therefore range from images and film to models and aircraft. This adds a perspective on Icelandic aviation to the town’s and region’s history.

Geothermal bathing and different interests

Akureyri Swimming Pool offers a wide range of pools and facilities. These include two heated 25-metre outdoor pools for lap swimming, water jets, three water slides, a paddling pool and a small indoor pool. There are also four hot tubs, a Jacuzzi, a cold bath, a steam bath and a large sunbathing area. All the pools and tubs are heated using natural geothermal energy.

If you plan your trip around a range of interests, these facilities are a clearly defined part of your time in Akureyri. Together with the riverside paths, garden, old town and museums, they show how you can shape your stay around different themes.

Free public bus services are also one of the town’s practical features. More local pages: Háls, Miðgarðar, Grenjaðarstaður, Myvatn, Draflastadhir, Raufarhöfn, Svalbard and Svalbarðseyri.

Return to the main travel overview: Nordurland Eystra.