Reykjavik Landmarks

      The Perlan is a remarkable natural history museum, built into and atop an old set of water tanks within Reykjavik’s still-operating municipal water supply infrastructure.  The museum houses a planetarium, an artificial ice cave, a lava show, and exhibits on geological, geothermal, biological and geographical wonders of Iceland.

     The Sky Lagoon is a less-famous, but equally enjoyable, outdoor geothermal pool and spa.  Like the Blue Lagoon, but without the weird blue water and chalky-white bottom.  Views from the infinity-style edge of the Sky Lagoon point out towards the Atlantic Ocean and the Reykjanes Peninsula.  With any luck you might see a plume from the ongoing volcano activity in that direction.

     The basalt-shaped Hallgrimskirkja is the most famous church in Reykjavik, sitting at the top of the hill at the southeast end of Rainbow Street.  Take the requisite photos with Leif Ericsson outside, explore the sanctuary itself inside, then take the lift to the very top of the bell tower for amazing views and a proper understanding of Reykjavik’s layout.  Then peek towards the Reykjanes Peninsula to see if you can view any signs of that ongoing volcanic activity.  Right next door to the Hallgrimskirkja, then, explore the grounds of the Einar Jonsson Museum.  You’ll be moved by some truly amazing sculptures from Iceland’s most famous sculptor.

     Because of its abundance of geothermally-heated water, and an absolute love of swimming, Iceland is famous for its public pools.  Every decent-sized town has at least one, so Reykjavik has several.  The Sundhollin is the closest to downtown, and involves both an indoor pool, an outdoor pool, rooftop hot tubs, saunas, etc.   Admission is fairly cheap, and a great way to see what is truly important to the locals.

    On the far side of the Perlan, next to Reykjavik University, you’ll find a large park and a series of trails.  You’ll also stumble upon the Nautholsvik Geothermal Beach.  Geothermally-heated water percolates into a small, contained section of the beach, but native Icelanders take advantage of the whole area to get in a nice swim.  I approached on a relatively cool day in jeans and a hoodie, and hundreds of locals were already in the water.

    The tesseract-looking Harpa Concert Hall is one of Reykjavík's most striking landmarks and a center of cultural life in the very heart of the city. Beyond its near-daily offerings for events and concerts, it is also simply an award-winning work of art that has been visited by millions of people since opening in 2011.  Check it out for its architecture, but also see if you might luck into being in town during a performance of the Iceland Symphony or other performers.

     If you have a bit of a green thumb, the Botanical Gardens are a wonderful place to wander about.  Or if you just want to be surrounded by a bit more green, sit in the all-glass cafe and enjoy a glass of wine with your warmth.

    Finally, no visit to Reykjavik is complete without a visit to the Rúblan Bókakaffi, on a corner in the heart of Laugavegur Street. A quiet bookstore and coffee shop by day, this two story structure morphs into a lively, two-story, music venue in the evenings.  The Book Band plays most nights, and folks will be dancing and having a good time to old-school covers.