Iceland review - 2013, Page 61

ICELAND REVIEW 59
Gásir, just north of Akureyri, was the main trading post for
North Iceland in the Middle Ages and was mentioned
many times in the Icelandic Sagas, written in the 13th
century. Archaeological excavation in recent years has confirmed Gásir’s
status, with a record number of antiquities found at the site of the old
trading post.
In Gásir’s heyday, it served as a connection to the big world out there,
with ships from the continent coming and going, carrying iron, china
and other luxuries. Iceland’s main export product was sulfur, mined by
Lake Mývatn. Used in warfare, it was extremely valuable.
No time or place in Iceland is better suited for stepping back in time
and dressing like a Viking than during the Medieval Days at Gásir, a fes-
tival held annually in late July. There you can fight like a Viking, eat like
a slob and drink like a berserk. 
Viking Times
Be a berserk for a day.
stepping back 1,000 years in one weekend at gásir.
BY PÁLL stefÁnsson
PHOTOS BY geiR óLafsson