Iceland review - 2015, Qupperneq 88

86 ICELAND REVIEW
Accessible only by boat until the 1940s, and still connected
to main roads by just a narrow tunnel, Neskaupstaður, on
Norðfjörður fjord in East Iceland, remains one of the country’s
best-kept secrets. Icelanders are drawn here for peaceful hiking
and camping in the summer, when Arctic blueberries grow wild,
and the sounds of playful whales echo off the mountainsides
above the town. Hildibrand Hotel is a Neskaupstaður landmark—
and was so long before it became a boutique hotel. It occupies
the regional farmers’ co-operative building constructed in 1948
by Hildibrandur Guðröður Jónsson, whose great-grandson, Hákon
Guðröðarson, runs Hildibrand today.
FOOD AND FAMILY
“We’re a family of farmers,” says Hákon, “so food is holy to us.”
Kaupfélagsbarinn (‘The Co-Op Bar’), the hotel’s bar, bistro and
restaurant, specializes in locally sourced ingredients—in fact, Hildi-
brand has obtained a special license to purchase and prepare fish
directly from the Neskaupstaður piers, cutting out the former 375-
km (233-mile) round trip to the processing plant. The local catch
and other delicacies are prepared and handled in Mjólkurstöðin,
the co-op’s old dairy plant. Every night in summer, guests dine on
sushi made from fish prepared there that day. (The sushi chef is
a one-time Reykjavík sushi pioneer but, Hákon says, “Most of us
know how to roll a good sushi now.”)
Hildibrand gladly packs picnic lunches for its guests, and its be-
loved “mobile kitchen” (a converted U.S. Army truck called Fjall-
konan, or ‘The Mountain Goddess’) is available to meet guests
in the countryside, whipping up gourmet meals on the spot—a
perfect end to a day’s hike or boat trip.
BACK TO NATURE
As a hiking and camping destination, the Norðfjörður region is
treasured for its solitude. Hildibrand arranges and guides hikes
for guests of all experience levels, from afternoon hillside rambles
to overnight camping trips to abandoned farms. Jeep pickups are
also available. Hildibrand guests can explore the fjord with the
popular local kayaking club, or tour sea caves on a newly-restored
ocean fishing boat offering day trips from Neskaupstaður harbor.
WHALE WATCHING
Hildibrand’s 15 guest apartments range from 55 to 110 sq. meters
(592-1,184 sq. feet) in size, with one to three bedrooms, and ful-
ly-equipped kitchens. Each room features a balcony and each bal-
cony faces south, towards the sea. With its deep harbor, Neskaup-
staður offers the unique opportunity to see whales swim right up
to town, in waters so still that they can be seen from land—from
a hotel balcony, say, or on the pier on a bright summer’s night,
while sipping a cocktail from Kaupfélagsbarinn. A family of hump-
backs summers in Neskaupstaður from April to July every year.
“The young ones are quite the show-offs,” Hákon says, “always
splashing around.”
hildibrand.com
Hildibrand Hotel
is the gateway to Iceland’s best-kept secret.
WELCOME TO NORÐFJÖRÐUR
.THE PEACEFUL EAST
SPECIAL PROMOTION