Reykjavík Grapevine - 03.07.2015, Blaðsíða 22

22 The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 9 — 2015
11 km north of Akureyri
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Best Art Museum
Reykjavík Art Museum
—
Various locations
This year’s winner is no big surprise,
having swept this category for the past
several years. Yup, we've once again de-
termined The Reykjavík Art Museum to
be the top art museum in Reykjavík, due
greatly to the fact that it resides in not just
one but three branches across the city.
While Hafnarhús often receives the bulk
of the attention for its location, impres-
sively modern building and host of many
cultural events, our panel was particu-
larly vocal about Kjarvalsstaðir, located
right in Klambratún park. “Their per-
manent collection is incredible and they
have many large spaces. You can always
count on seeing something good there,”
one argument went. “It’s a great place to
take kids because they have a great draw-
ing corner and lots of space,” our parent-
panelist also noted. Ásmundarsafn also
didn’t go ignored as one of the best off-
the-beaten-path museums to visit. For
upholding high curatorial standards and
forward-thinking exhibits in all its loca-
tions, this museum takes the cake.
Runner-up: National Gallery of
Iceland
2014: Reykjavík Art Museum
2013: Reykjavík Art Museum
2012: Reykjavík Art Museum
2011: Einar Jónsson
2010: Reykjavík Art Museum
2009: Einar Jónsson
Best Museum
Árbæjarsafnið
—
Kistuhyl 4
It wasn’t so long ago that Reykjavík was
just a rustic country village where mer-
chants trotted down the mucky roads on
horses, women would haul their laun-
dry to Laugardalur to do the washing by
hand, and sheep and chickens were com-
mon residents. Árbærsafnið is an ode to
that no-so-distant past, a beautifully pre-
served slice of another era in Icelandic
history. “It’s like a retirement home for
Icelandic culture—where the old houses
from 101 go when they die,” one of Grape-
vine's friends noted.
Once they arrive on this bucolic patch
of land in the Árbær suburb, the houses
are given new life in an old style, and
the museum's events and shows reflect
the historic events of the past. In the
summer, the museum comes alive with
animals on location and staged exhibits.
Árbæjarsafnið wins our hearts for its im-
mersive experience, historical accuracy
and delightful nostalgia.
Runner-up: Phallological Museum of
Iceland
2014: National Museum of Iceland
2013: National Museum
2012: National Museum
2011: National Museum
2010: National Center for Cultural
Heritage
Best Place To Spend A
Rainy Day
Café Flóra
—
Laugardalur
Café Flóra is located inside a big green-
house in the park area at Laugardalur,
a short distance from downtown. The
café is in an atrium that’s full of verdant
plant life and water features, with views
out into the parkland. “The rain makes a
relaxing sound as it hits the greenhouse
roof, and you can get tea, coffee, snacks
or a beer if you feel like it,” a long time
reader wrote in to tell us. “You can sit and
read a book or look out at the weather,
and it’s the perfect place to be amongst
nature whilst staying dry.” And isn't that
lovely.
There’s also an ice-skating rink in the
hall next door if that’s your kind of thing,
and when the sun comes out you can take
a walk in the park. You’ll need your rain-
coat to get there, though.
Runners-up: Sundhöllin hot tubs,
Harpa
2014: A Hot Tub
2013: Reykjavík Art Museum - Haf-
narhús
2012: Bíó Paradís
2011: Bíó Paradís
2010: A hot tub
2009: Borgarbókasafnið
Best Place To Spend A
Sunny Day
Heiðmörk
Heiðmörk is a park and nature conserva-
tion area at the very edge of greater Reyk-
javík. On one side lies the Rauðhólar area,
characterised by some dramatic red and
ochre rock formations jutting out of the
ground; on the other, there’s a large area
of spruce and pine woodland. In fact,
over four million trees have been planted
there since the park’s inception in 1950,
and Icelanders go there in droves all the
year round to wander through the vari-
ous roads and pathways.
It’s a beautiful spot for a hike, a me-
andering walk or a picnic, and it has a
slightly wilder feeling than the many
well-manicured inner-city parks.
Runners-up: Hjlómskalagarðurinn,
Laugadalur
2014: Nauthólsvík
2013: Nauthólsvík
2012: Hjartagarðurinn
NEW: Best Place For
Cycling & Jogging
Ægisíða
We joined the cycling and jogging cat-
egories together this year, for the simple
reason that the scenic Ægisíða road is
the perfect place for both. Located out
on the south side of the Vesturbœr pen-
insula, this peaceful three-lane jogging
and cycle path skirts a beautiful piece of
Reykjavík’s coastline, looking over to the
mountains and volcanic cones of Reyk-
janes. Depending on how far you want
to go, you could take a short jog around
the coast, or go as far west as the Grótta
lighthouse and nature reserve; in the
eastward direction lies the Nauthólsvík
man-made beach, and a seaside path that
leads all the way to Kópavogur. We like
the combination of tranquil sea views
and scenery, the distance the paths have
from traffic (unlike, say, on Sæbraut), the
separate lanes for bikes and joggers, and
the fact that it’s not too windy.
Runner-up: Sæbraut
Best Place To See A Movie
Bíó Paradís
—
Hverfisgata 54
This downtown “cinema paradise” is a
surefire winner for the movie category.
Showing indie flicks, older movies, cult
films and a selection of new art-house
productions, the programme offers
something for everyone, whilst avoid-
ing the latest Hollywood stuff. Indeed,
Iceland's only art-house cinema should
satisfy any would-be cinephile, hosting
mini-film festivals and special events
alongside recent Icelandic films with
English subtitles. It's even a nice place to
hang out for a drink or two, as the theatre
has a pleasant seating area and regularly
hosts art exhibitions and even concerts.
Also notable is the fact that Bíó Paradís
is Iceland's only cinema that doesn't have
intermissions.
Runners-up: Háskólabíó
2014: VIP Theater, Mjódd
2013: Bíó Paradís

Best Romantic Walk
Öskjuhlíð
Set just outside of the city centre,
Öskjuhlíð is a small hill crowned by dis-
tinctive landmark Perlan. It’s covered in
little roads and paths through the trees
that branch out into a winding network,
offering a rare chance to get lost in this
diminutive city. “You can have some pri-
vacy there, unlike at Sæbraut or Tjörnin,”
one panellist noted. “It’s more intimate.
There are so many little paths, you can
just wander in the nature without being
disturbed. You also have some options
on Öskjuhlíð, if you feel like romancing it
up with a seaside walk and an ice cream,
because at the back of the hill is the Nau-
thólsvík beach.”
The area also a sprawling graveyard
to go and explore (see our “Best Grave-
yard To Hang Out In” award). And as far
as makeout spots go, well, it doesn’t get
much better than this.
Runners-up: Ægisíða, Tjörnin
2014: Grótta
2013: Grótta
2012: Grótta
2011: Grasagarðurinn
2010: Sæbraut
2009: Öskjuhlíð
Best Shock Walk
Hafnarstræti and Hverfisgata
This category was coined almost espe-
cially for the somewhat extreme nightlife
devastation seen on the puke ‘n’ glass-
strewn pavements of Laugavegur after
Friday and Saturday nights. But lately,
our panel noted, the streets of Hafnar-
stræti and Hverfisgata (which join to-
gether at Lækjargata) have become kind
of shocking for different reasons. “It’s
a hotspot for drunken attacks by really
wasted people,” one panellist remarked,
adding that he was also shocked by the
construction-related devastation in the
area. “It doesn’t feel safe, sometimes.
And so many buildings have been razed
to the ground,” he continued. “I saw an
old building on Hafnarstræti that’s had
its face torn off to reveal a gutted inte-
rior, and it made me go ‘WOAH!’ These
streets are as close to a ‘ghetto’ as Reyk-
javík gets.”
Runners-up: Laugavegur at 5am
(drunken destruction), Laugavegur at
3pm (tourist overload)
2014: Laugavegur 5am
2013: Laugavegur 5am
Best Place To Enjoy A Zen
Moment
Viðey
Just outside of the hubbub of Reykjavík’s
downtown area lies Viðey, a tiny unpopu-
lated island in the Faxaflói bay. It’s dot-
ted with a couple of buildings, including
one of Iceland’s oldest churches, a quaint
cabin, and a small restaurant. Home to
a series of pillar sculptures by Richard
Serra and Yoko Ono’s “Peace Tower,” it’s
accessible by Elding boat in the summer
Best Of Reykjavík