Reykjavík Grapevine - 02.06.2017, Page 58

How to get there:
Fly or take Route One to
Akureyri, then take Route 82
Distance from
Reykjavík
440 km
58 The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 09 — 2017
Siglufjörður, all shiny
Town Guide: Siglufjörður
Hikes, herring and hot pots in the far north
Words: Mark Asch Photos: Art Bicnick

In the internationa l T V hit
‘Trapped’, Siglufjörður is a place
of dismembered corpses and hu-
man trafficking; dark secrets and
g u i l t y c o n -
sciences; a CGI
ferry looming
ominously in
the harbour;
endless nights
of snow and
wind; and one
very tired, very
sex y cr i me-
solving, milk-
drinking Yeti.
In l i fe, this
N o r t h I c e -
landic town is where Icelanders
come in winter for ski weekends
and summer for golf, driving the
hour and change up from Akureyri
along the majestic Eyjafjörður and
through a series of tunnels. Tucked
between the water and snaggle-
toothed mountains at the apex of
the Tröllskagi peninsula, its skyline
a smattering of fish plants, colour-
ful cottages and even small New
Objectivist apartment buildings,
Sigló still feels very much like an
isolated oasis.
Stay: Sigló Hótel
The town’s luxury-accommoda-
tion option, a long, low olive-green
building, was a prominent exterior
in ‘Trapped’. Out front, a sauna and
hot pot overlook the town and har-
bour—perfect for Northern Lights
or white nights. Inside, the hotel
boasts country cottage-style rooms
and a very cosy lounge bar oriented
around a modernist fireplace, with
windows overlooking the fjord and
vintage travel literature on the
bookshelves.
Museum: The Herring
Era Museum
Sigló was known as the “Klondike
of the Atlantic” during the first half
of the twentieth century, as work-
ers came from all over Iceland (and
beyond) to catch, pack, process and
ship the massive herring stocks
then glistening in the waters north
of the island. The
Herring Era Mu-
seum, spread out
across three refur-
bished buildings,
pays tribute to the
boom years with
copious photos and
newsreels; person-
al and professional
effects gathered
from the town’s
“Herring Girls” and
their descendants;
a fish factory; and a “boathouse”
complete with fully equipped fish-
ing vessels. Give yourself two hours.
Drink: Segull 67
One of the newer entries in Iceland’s
burgeoning indie-brewing revolu-
tion, Segull 67 took over an old fish
factory in 2015 and has been churn-
ing out tasty lagers and a variety of
seasonal beers since. Email ahead
for a tour and a tasting, or check
their Facebook to see if there’s any
events on at the brewery—or just
pick up a sixer at the Vínbúð.
Eat: Marina Village
The restaurants Hannes Boy and
Kaffi Rauðka occupy brightly paint-
ed warehouses opposite a small
marina from the Sigló Hótel—the
whole complex is part of a newly
spiffy and quaint section of the har-
bour area. Marina Village is open in
the summer, with plentiful outdoor
seating.
Festival: Folk Festival
Siglufjörður’s Folk Music Centre,
open in summer, features artefacts
and recordings dedicated to Icelan-
dic traditions such as epic poetry
recitation and quint-song (two voic-
es in parallel fifths). Every July, they
put on a week of performances in
town, featuring performers in Ice-
landic and other Nordic styles. This
year’s festival, which will also spot-
light African folk music traditions,
is set for July 5-9.
Walk: Skarðsdal
Just out of town, on the road up to
the town’s ski slope, is the town for-
est (thanks, national reforestation
efforts!). Short walking trails wind
through piney forests; you’ll hear
the small waterfall long before you
see it. Downstream, a grassy clear-
ing is a perfect picnic area.
Hike: Siglufjardarskarð
or Héðinsfjörður
Before the tunnels were built, the
only road into Siglo was over the
mountains from Skagafjörður to
the south and west—a treacherous
overland route that was impassable
for much of the year. Today, it’s a
trail for more experienced hikers.
Easier routes wend along the peace-
ful uninhabited fjord to the east of
town, just through the tunnel.
SHARE & VIEW GALLERY:
gpv.is/travel
The picturesque harbour
“Short walk-
ing trails wind
through piney
forests; you’ll hear
the small waterfall
long before you
see it.”
The best of Icelandic produce
with a nod to Japan and South
America. Modern Icelandic
flavours, share plates and award
winning cocktails.
Sushi Social
Þingholtsstræti 5 • 101 Reykjavík
Tel. 568 6600 • sushisocial.is
Our kitchen is open
17.00–23.00 sun.–thu.
17.00–24.00 fri.–sat.
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