Discover Siglufjörður

Siglufjörður combines a vibrant culture with a distinctive herring history and experiences in nature. At exhibitions, you can encounter traditional music and the area’s former fishing life; outside, the harbour, tidal flats, and hiking trails invite all kinds of discovery. Which side of the town interests you most can also shape your choice of holiday rental and the pace of your stay.

Folk Music and Herring History

The Folk Music Centre presents Icelandic folk music through video recordings. People of different ages from all parts of Iceland sing, recite, and play traditional instruments. The music comes to life through voices, recitations, and instruments—a distinct cultural focus alongside the town’s historical exhibitions.

With its Boat-House exhibition, the Herring Era Museum evokes a typical herring harbour around 1950. Nine boats of various types and sizes are moored at the quay; audiovisual materials explore herring fishing from 1938 onwards. The boats and accompanying media offer different perspectives: here, the vessels take centre stage in the harbour scene; there, fishing is the main subject.

Róaldsbrakki is also part of the history of the Herring Era Museum. The four-storey former salt works is a Norwegian building dating from 1907, most of which has been preserved in its original form. The town thus features both a historic building and an exhibition illustrating a herring harbour around 1950.

Harbour, Brewery, and Local Attractions

On a walk along the harbour, you can watch local fishermen at work on a good summer’s day. The season and the specific weather conditions are part of the experience: the opportunity to watch is explicitly tied to a good summer’s day.

At Segull 67, brewery tours take you behind the scenes and include a tasting of the products. Up to 100 people can take part. If you would like to include this activity in your plans, check the tour’s availability in advance. Siglufjörður also has an indoor swimming pool.

Tidal Flats, Mountains, and Hikes

Leirurnar is a stretch of tidal flats at the innermost end of Siglufjörður. It is home to the area’s most diverse birdlife; larger colonies of Arctic terns and eider ducks have been found on both sides of the fjord since around 1980. Numbers and breeding activity may vary seasonally. Nature watching here therefore offers a different focus from looking at boats or exhibitions at the harbour.

Hvanneyrarskál lies between Hvanneyrarhnjúk and Hafnarhyrna. The floor of this bowl-shaped valley is about 200 metres above sea level. A walkable path leads up to Hvanneyrarskál from the avalanche protection structures; trail conditions may vary and should be checked before setting out.

The hiking trails around Siglufjörður range from short walks through the town to more challenging hikes. You can plan accordingly, depending on whether you prefer a shorter stroll or a more demanding hike. In the surrounding area, a planted forest on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge with a small waterfall is also a destination for an outing.

Choose a Holiday Rental to Suit Your Travel Interests

When choosing a holiday rental in Siglufjörður, it is worth first considering what you want to shape your stay: folk music and herring history, a walk along the harbour on a good summer’s day, or time for nature and hiking. These options offer different themes and levels of activity, without requiring you to limit your trip to just one kind of experience.

Discover more destinations: Draflastadhir, Laugar, Hrisey, Reykjahlíð, Laufás, Laxamýri, Bakki, Raufarhöfn.

Go to the regional travel overview: Northeastern Region.