Iceland review - 2016, Page 105

ICELAND REVIEW 103
SPECIAL PROMOTION BITS & PIECES
Culture’s Home
On Hverfisgata in central Reykjavík you can’t fail to notice the large white Culture
House (Safnahúsið). Looking like part castle, part gingerbread house, its purpose
is not immediately apparent—but its importance is clear from first sight.
Go inside and you’ll be treated to an exhibition called Points of View—a unique
collaboration between six of Iceland’s most important cultural institutions, pre-
senting a thoughtful snapshot of Iceland’s entire culture and history across four
floors. Still, it does not claim to be exhaustive!
From taxidermy and crystals to priceless paintings and irreplaceable manu-
scripts, as well as modern design classics and more, Points of View is the conflu-
ence of art, science and showbiz. The exhibition presents all artifacts together
as equal and significant—and the result is surprising and undeniably interesting.
Located at Hverfisgata 15. Open 10 am to 5 pm Tuesdays-Sundays. culturehouse.is
Explore the Origins of Icelandic Culture
At The Settlement Exhibition visitors can experience the settlement of Iceland
in the late 9th century through two remarkable exhibitions. The first is based
on archaeological findings from the days of the settlement and the other on
manuscripts documenting the same period, offering an unprecedented view into
the origins of Icelandic culture. The exhibition centers on an excavated site, the
actual remains of a Viking Age longhouse that have been preserved in situ. The
second exhibition comprises some of the nation’s most renowned documents,
many of them written in the 12th century but relating to events that go back as
far as 874 AD, when the first settlers came to Iceland. The manuscripts are rec-
ognized by UNESCO as having outstanding cultural value. Open 9 am to 9 pm.
reykjavikcitymuseum.is
The Recipe for a Glorious Day
Reykjavík Excursions offers a range of exciting day tours, many of which include the
ever popular Golden Circle. Travelers get to visit the erupting hot spring Strokkur at
the Geysir geothermal area, the mighty waterfall Gullfoss, which tumbles 32 meters
down a crevice, and the historically and geologically significant Þingvellir National
Park. In addition to the classic stops, Reykjavík Excursions now takes visitors to the
greenhouses at Friðheimar where they can learn how tomatoes and cucumbers are
grown in a sub-Arctic climate and taste the products.
Also, travelers can go snorkeling in the crystal-clear Silfra lake at Þingvellir, in a
rift between the American and Eurasian tectonic plates, relax in the hot tubs and
natural steam bath of Laugarvatn Fontana Geothermal Baths, where locals have
enjoyed the healing powers of the steam coming straight from the ground for
almost a century, explore nature from the back of an Icelandic horse, or feel the
thrill of snowmobiling on Langjökull glacier. For those with little time to spare,
Reykjavík Excursions also offers express afternoon and evening tours. re.is