Iceland review - 2015, Qupperneq 44

42 ICELAND REVIEW
HOT SPRINGS,
SPORTS, AND
SUMMER SOLSTICE
BY ELLIOTT BRANDSMA.
PHOTOS BY PÁLL STEFÁNSSON.
Historians don’t know exactly how
Iceland’s capital city came to be
called Reykjavík (‘Smoky Bay’),
but legend has it that, when the Vikings
first arrived in the ninth century, they
saw billows of steam rising from the geo-
thermal valley Laugardalur, which later
inspired the city’s name. Over the centuries,
Icelanders harnessed this valley’s numerous
hot springs for domestic purposes, but
today they have transformed the area into a
hotspot for recreational activities.
Located just outside what is now the
Reykjavík city center, Laugardalur, which
means ‘Hot Spring Valley’ in English, also
boasts a rich cultural history that is almost
as expansive and vibrant as the area itself.
Up until the 1930s, Icelandic women would
embark on arduous walks to the geother-
mal valley so that they could clean their
families’ dirty clothes in its natural hot
springs. Over time, though, Laugardalur’s
laundress legacy has faded away and the
area is now home to some of Iceland’s most
popular outdoor and indoor leisure desti-
nations for locals and tourists alike.
Once a tranquil geothermal valley where Icelandic women washed
laundry, Laugardalur is now home to swimming pools, sporting
events, and a new music festival celebrating the midnight sun.
PARKS AND RECREATION
Some of the valley’s main attractions
include Laugardalslaug—the spacious
neighborhood swimming pool—flourish-
ing botanical gardens, a petting zoo, the
Laugar Spa and gym, and Laugardalsvöllur
stadium, where Icelanders frequently test
their mettle against each other and other
nations in outdoor sporting events.
Built in the 1960s and expanded in 2006,
Laugardalshöllin, which is situated near the
valley’s edge, is an expansive indoor sports
facility that doubles as a concert venue.
With a maximum capacity of 11,000, the
building has served as a stage for notable
Icelandic singers like Björk and interna-
tional acts like Led Zeppelin throughout
its history. In 1972, near the height of
the Cold War, the World Championship
in Chess took place in Laugardalshöllin.
During this historic, nail-biting competi-
tion, American chess player Bobby Fischer
defeated Russian champion Boris Spassky
in what has since been called the ‘Match of
the Century.’