Museums

The Icelandic Sea Monster Museum

Tales of sea monsters have played a colourful role in Icelandic folk culture for centuries, and several written accounts of them can be found all around the country. Today, these elusive creatures have been given a worthy home at the Icelandic Sea Monster Museum, located in the village of Bildudalur on the shores of Arnarfjörður fjord, said to be one of the most prolific centres of monster activity in the country.

Visitors to the Sea Monster Museum watch these remarkable creatures brought to life through a lively mix of words, images and videos, an action-packed multimedia display that culminates in a spectacular interactive plinth, the first of its kind in Iceland.

First-hand accounts from eye-witnesses are joined on-screen by academic theories on the nature of sea monsters, while a variety of relics and artefacts relating to this mysterious branch of zoology appear throughout the museum as tangible evidence for their existence.

And to feed monster appetites, the museum cafeteria offers a range of light refreshments and snacks.

Hotel Laugarholl

Ghosts, trolls and sorcerers

To Icelanders the Strandir region is wrapped in an aura of mystery. According to lore it's not only home to ghosts, elves and trolls, but many thought witchcraft was rampant here, used for both good and evil.
Hotel Laugarholl is a peaceful and comfortable family-run country hotel located in the green and sparsely populated valley Bjarnarfjordur, perfectly situated for exploring the remote and beautiful wilderness of mysterious Strandir.

We have single, double and triple rooms with private or shared facilities, a cosy living room with free internet access and a restaurant with special emphasis on fresh and tasty homemade local food as well as global cuisine.

Next to the hotel you will find The Pool of Gvendur the good, a naturally warm geothermal outdoor swimming pool (32°C) and adjacent natural hot pool (42°C), perfect for relaxing after a long day on the road or hiking in the wilderness.

The camping site is open from 1. June - 1. September


From Reykjavik 258 km, from Stykkishólmur 190 km, from Ísafjörður 250 km, from Akureyri 360 km.

The Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft Museum

The Museum of Sorcery and Witchcraft was opened in the summer of 2000 and attracts around 11 thousand guests every year.

The exhibition tells the story of the witchcraze in Iceland in the 17th century and how witchcraft is presented in our folklore. Guests will learn about certain witchcraft cases and about different witchcraft like necropants to gather money, find a thiefe and wake up the dead.

Open all year.
Summer hours: May 15th - September 30th: 10:00-18:00 every day of the week
Winter hours: Oktober 1st - Mayl 15th: 12:00-18:00 every day of the week

Hnjótur Museum

Hnjótur Museum in Örlygshöfn in Patreksfjörður, displays a unique collection of old items from the Southern Westfjords.

The museum shows the history of fishing, farming and everyday life in the area.

At the museum is an exhibition about the rescue of the British trawler Dhoon that stranded at Látrabjarg cliffs in 1947.

At the museum is an attractive cafeteria, souvenir shop and information center.

Opening hours: Daily from 10:00 - 18:00, May 1st to September 30th.

Please contact for visits outside scheduled opening hours (museum@hnjotur.is or 456 1511)

Museum of Everyday Life

Don't miss this one-of-a-kind museum that will make you feel like you've stepped into other peoples' lives for a short second.

The museum exhibits a collection of local voices, memories and story fragments, thought provoking and humorous - curated in various ways. The cinema is a perfect space to sit down and experience life in winter and the newly installed Sensory Labratory adds an exciting and fun activity for both adults and children.

Opening hours:
June - August: every day from 13.00 - 17.00.
Closed in wintertime but can be opened by request.

Admission: 1000 krónur, free for youngsters under 16.

The Arctic Fox Center

The Arctic Fox Centre is a non-profit research and exhibition center, focusing on the arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) - the only native terrestrial mammal in Iceland.

The Arctic Fox Centre was established on September 15th 2007 in Sudavik Westfjords. Founders were 42, mostly local people, tourist operators and municipalities in the Westfjords. All of which share their interest in the arctic foxes and believe in increasing ecotourism in Iceland. The idea of the Arctic Fox Centre comes from prof. Pall Hersteinsson, University of Iceland and he serves as a quality witness for the center.

The long term aim is to collect all available knowledge and material relevant to the arctic fox in past and presence.

We house an exhibition focusing on educating material:

  • About biology and history of the arctic foxes as a species.
  • About the war that has been waged between the man and the arctic fox, since the early settlement of humans in Iceland (1100 years).
  • About the status and specialities of the Arctic Foxes in Iceland and other regions of its distributional range.
  • About fox hunting as the oldest paid operation in Iceland, methods and materials, stories and descriptions.
  • About fox farming activities and it´s consequences for the wild population throughout the decades.

We emphasize on:

  • Participate in and promote research programs on Icelandic arctic fox populations, in collaboration with academic and research centers.
  • Participate in developing sustainable wildlife torism in Iceland, in collaboration with the authorities and other interested parties.
  • Stimulate development and manufacturing on handicraft and souvenirs, specialized for The Arctic Fox Center.

Open:

  • May: 10:00-16:00
  • June - July: 09:00-18:00
  • September: 10:00-16:00
  • Oct 01 - May 14: Upon request
The Leif Eiriksson Center

The Leif Eiriksson center is an exciting destination for all ages, where stories of the voyages of Erik the Red and his son Leif the Lucky (also called Leifur Eiríksson), discovering parts of Greenland, Canada and the US, are presented in a new exhibition, consisting of works from ten renowned Icelandic visual artists. An audio guide will lead you through the history as you view the magical world of the exhibition. Afterwards you can enjoy a quick bite to eat or some good coffee on the ground floor.

Open daily from May to October.