Iceland review - 2015, Qupperneq 84

82
With 18,000 inhabitants, Akureyri is the cultural capital of North
Iceland and the biggest settlement outside the Reykjavík
metropolitan area. This friendly town has all the services and
activities bigger cities would pride themselves on, including
a professional symphony orchestra and a host of galleries,
museums, cafés, restaurants, clubs and concert venues.
capitaL of the shininG north
in the heart of north
iceland, akureyri is a
little-big city with
a big heart.
the arctic north SPeCiAL PromotioN
Diverse aTTracTions
Located just below the Arctic Circle, winter nights in Akureyri are long
and dark. In calm and clear weather, North Iceland is ideal for viewing
starry skies and the luminous northern lights. When the conditions are
right, a short drive into the countryside provides a splendid view of
the cosmic wonder. There are also plenty of northern lights tours to
choose from.
The darkness does not deter happy skiers, because the ski resort on
Mt. Hlíðarfjall, the largest in Iceland, is fully lit. The resort, only a ten-
minute drive away, has prime conditions and a variety of slopes to suit
everyone, from the youngest beginners to the boldest daredevils. The
view of Akureyri and the fjord Eyjafjörður surrounded by snowcapped
mountains is spectacular.
Skating at the local ice rink is a favored pastime and all sorts of other
exciting winter activities are available, such as dog-sledding, snow-
shoe hiking, snowmobiling and heli-skiing. Also join whale watching,
local food, culture and nature tours, and special tours themed on the
television series Game of Thrones. Local tour operators can arrange
sightseeing of the Holuhraun eruption from the air too. All mentioned
tours and more are arranged and bookable from Akureyri.