Iceland review - 2016, Page 137

ICELAND REVIEW 135
Soaking in Style
Laugarvatn Fontana Geothermal Baths are located right on the black beach
of Laugarvatn Lake, which is boiling hot in places due to geothermal activity.
An hour’s drive from Reykjavík, Laugarvatn Fontana is a must-stop on the
popular Golden Circle route. Laugarvatn Fontana’s steam rooms are built over
a boiling hot spring which has been used for this purpose for over 80 years.
Elegantly renovated, the steam rooms have special grates in the floor, allowing
guests to see, hear and smell the natural hot spring. A Finnish-style sauna has
also been added to the area, along with a series of interconnected baths and
natural pools of various temperatures and depths, ideal for the entire family
to relax or play. A refreshing swim in Laugarvatn completes the bathing expe-
rience. As swimming stimulates the appetite, you can spontaneously decide to
try the freshly-made delicacies in the in-house buffet, available daily at noon
and in the evening. fontana.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
its 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
Icelandic Art on the World Stage
The early 20th century was a time of great intellectual, creative and political pro-
gress in Iceland. The era’s independent spirit was fueled by the groundbreaking
work of an emerging generation of painters—artists who forged a sense of
national identity through their representations of Icelandic nature. In 1927, the
first comprehensive exhibition of Icelandic art to be staged abroad was held in
Copenhagen. This exhibition featured nearly 250 paintings by 12 Icelandic art-
ists—including Jóhannes Kjarval, Guðmundur Thorsteinsson (Muggur), Júlíana
Sveinsdóttir and Kristín Jónsdóttir—and not only connected Iceland with the
greater Western art tradition, but also demonstrated Iceland’s own approach
to visual art.
The National Gallery of Iceland’s Udstilling af islandsk kunst, the first exhibi-
tion of Icelandic art in Copenhagen, revisits this pioneering show and presents
a selection of the original works displayed. It runs until September 2016, and
visitors are invited to learn more by taking the English-language tour offered
every Friday at 12:10. listasafn.is
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