Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.06.2017, Blaðsíða 48

The R
eykjavík G
rapevine
B
est of R
eykjavík 20
17
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Everyone who comes to Iceland is pretty keen make the most of their
time here, and whether that means a week of carefree holiday me-
andering or a laser-guided approach to finding the best stuff, a cou-
ple of insider tips are always useful. In this fast-changing city, new
places spring up from week to week, begging the questions: which
pool has the best hot pot for your first morning here? Where’s the
best Icelandic art at? And what’s the best road trip to see some of
this amazing nature we’ve heard so much about?
Best pool
Lágafellslaug
Lækjarhlíð 1a, 270 Mosfellsbær
With big crowds at the city-centre pools, our panel chose the tucked-
away Lágafellslaug as their current favourite swimming spot. Mos-
fellsbær’s modern swimming palace still has, as our panel noted,
“that new pool smell.” It has everything you could want for a per-
fect swimming experience: spacious hotpots, multiple slides and
amusements to keep the kids happy, a small but perfectly formed
sauna, and a steam room with a view over the mountain of Úlfars-
fell. It’s a twenty-minute drive from downtown, but it’s worth it—
and if you’re driving the Golden Circle or heading to or from a north-
bound road trip, it’s right in your path.
Runners Up
Vesturbæjarlaug
Hofsvallagata 107
If you’re on foot and staying in the
downtown three, our panel decided
that the bright and modern Vesturbær-
laug is the go-to. As well as a mega-hot-
pot with a large jacuzzi, the panel noted
that it’s also the best pool to play “indie
bingo,” spotting Icelandic hipsters, art-
ists and musicians. It’s also right across
the street from Kaffihús Vesturbær, so
you can stop there for lunch or coffee.
Kópavogslaug
Borgarholtsbraut 17, 200
Kópavogur
Another much-loved pool in the
suburban Greater Reykjavík area is the
Kópavogur pool, Kópavogslaug. Our
panel particularly enjoyed relaxing in the
steam bath and the spacious hot pots.
In the summer, you can use the outdoor
dressing rooms, and for the winter there
are indoor outdoor pots and slides. And
for the kids, “there’s an octopus that spits
on you,” the panel noted. Cool.
Previous winners
2016: Neslaug
2015: Vesturbæjarlaug
2014: Vesturbæjarlaug
2013: Laugardalslaug
2012: Laugardalslaug
2011: Neslaug
Best gallery
i8
Tryggvagata 16
The i8 gallery shows a rich mixture
of Icelandic and international artists,
focussing largely on work with a
conceptual edge. Their strong monthly
programme is always on point, showing
a constant stream of engaging work
that confounds expectations, pushes at
boundaries, and surprises with its wit
and humour. They win for the third year
running, despite a recent resurgence in
the downtown Reykjavík gallery scene.
Good job, i8!

Runners Up
Berg Contemporary
Klapparstígur 16
Of the new crop, Berg Contemporary
caught the eye of our panel. This large,
beautifully renovated space already has
a strong roster of Icelandic artists on
constant rotation. It’s right in the heart
of downtown, too, so it’s easy to drop
by for a look as you meander through
the streets.
Ekkisens
Bergstaðastræti 25b
This energetic space, located in a
former downtown basement flat, is res-
olutely DIY in nature. They show sparky,
experimental work via group shows and
happenings that present all kinds of
work from recent graduates and young
artists, including performance, fashion,
painting, illustration, installation, sculp-
ture and more.
Previous winners
2016: i8
2015: i8
2014: Kling og Bang
2013: National Museum
2012: National Museum
2011: National Museum
BEST OF REYKJAVÍK 2017
Activities
Get off the internet already!
Best art museum
The National
Gallery
Fríkirkjuvegur 7
Iceland’s National Gallery sits on the
shore of the town pond, Tjörnin. Our
panel praised its “interesting mix of
older international exhibitions, often
from Nordic and older Icelandic artists,
alongside people like Jeff Koons, Louise
Bourgeois and fairly out-there contem-
porary stuff.” They also liked the mu-
seum’s “interesting mix of provocative
new work and 20th century Icelandic
work that isn’t on display at other
museums.” It’s a labyrinthine network
of spaces where you could easily spend
an afternoon.
Runners Up
Hafnarhúsið
Tryggvagata 17
Hafnarhúsið is a cathedral to con-
temporary art that shows a constant
conveyor belt of interesting internation-
al work, from Cory Arcangel to Richard
Serra to Yoko Ono. They have several
shows to see on any visit, and you can
see some classic Icelandic work here,
too. There’s a great shop and a library
and café, making it a great rainy day
destination.
Kjarvalsstaðir
Flókagata 24
This beautiful space is located in a park
just on the outskirts of downtown,
between the city centre and the Krin-
glan mall. Our panel said “it’s your best
chance to see modern and contemporary
Icelandic painting. It’s got a nice café. And,
it’s adjacent to a frisbee golf course.”
Previous winners
2016: Hafnarhúsið
2015: Reykjavík Art Museum
2014: Reykjavík Art Museum
2013: Reykjavík Art Museum
2012: Reykjavík Art Museum