Sightseeing in Borgarnes

The town has a Tourist Information Center at 4 Braurtorg, 437-2214, [email protected]; a healthcare center; several supermarkets, a hardware store, an appliance store, a photoprocessing shop, and a wine store. In the center of town is a public garden (Skallagrimsgardur), which is the burial site of settler Skallagrimur Kveldufsson, the father of Egill Skallagrimsson, who was one of the most colorful figures of the Age of Settlement.

The town's Icelandic Settlement Center at 13-15 Brakarbraut, 437-1600, offers two exhibits with an audio-tape narrative. One features Egill Skallagrimsson, and the other deals with the settlement of Iceland. It is said to be one of the best history and saga museums in Iceland.

Alfasteinn, in Borgafjordur East, is a collection of arts and crafts, as well as a collection of stones and exhibits dedicated to the production of stones.

The Borgarfjordur Regional Museum at Borgarbraut, 437- 2127, houses the district museum, a library, an art gallery, and a collection of natural history.

The Hvanneyri Farm Machinery Museum, 437-0000, is at Andakilshreppur, and the KM Handicraft House is at Kleppjarnsreykir in the Reykholtsdalur Valley.

Nearby are the Gullborg lava field, Hallgrim's Church, Mount Baula, and Mount Thyrill, and there are an amazing 15 horse farms close by as well.

Two colleges also are close – the Bifrost School of Business and the Hvanneyri Agricultural University.

During the second weekend in June, the community celebrates The Festival of Borgarfjordur. Another annual event is IsNord, a music festival that focuses on Icelandic/Nordic music.

Dances are held regularly in Thinghamar, the community center at Varmaland; at the Lyngbrekka Community Center on the main road at Arnarstapi; at Lindartunga; and in Breidablik. Dances also are held four times a year at Lysuholl.

Other Nearby Sights

Other nearby sights include the reconstructed saga-age farmstead of Ririksstadie, which was the home of Erik the Red and the birthplace of Leif the Lucky. Northwest of town are the Myrar flatlands with many small lakes and ponds.

Saga hero Gunnlaugur Ormstunga lived in Gilsbakki, an old local center near Hvitarsiduhreppur.

Straumsfjordur, now uninhabited, was an ancient trading post where the witch Straumfjardarhalla was once thought to live. The French research vessel Pourquoi Pas? ran aground there in 1936, killing all aboard but one.

Eldborg (Fire Castle) is a crater on a lava field of the same name. The crater is not reachable by car, but is only a half-hour's walk from Snorrastadir.

Caves in the lava field at Gullborgarhella are thought to be the most beautiful of their type, but may be visited only with permission and guidance, which are available in nearby Heggsstadir.

Skorradalur

Skorradalur is a long, narrow, twisting valley, but it is also sheltered and beautifully wooded. A 17-mile lake runs almost the entire length of the valley. At Skalpastadir, there is a pine forest with a good number of marked hiking trails. In Fitja, at the upper end of the valley, there are two waterfalls, Hvitserkur and Sarpur, while at the other end of the valley is the Andakilsa waterfall. The valley is very popular for fishing and camping.

Hafnarfjall mountain, 1,350 feet high, is popular for climbing, while Hallmundar Hraun is a large lava field, 32 miles long and four and one-half miles wide.

At Ferstikla in Hvalfjordur, the road takes off from the Ring Road, goes over Geldingadragi mountain pass and then descends into Skorradalur valley, where it continues west until it finally rejoins the Ring Road. The road makes a nice shortcut for those wishing to avoid the stretch of coast around Hafnarfjall.

Paradisarlaut (Paradise Glen), a beautiful spot where the river flows from under the lava field, is at Nordura, near the Glanni waterfall. For a nice drive, take the road east of Nordura, which will take you in a circle around Nordurardalur.

Baula is a rhyolite cone mountain with a view of nine counties from the top. The climb is slow, but not difficult if the right pathway is taken.

Bus Tours

The Saemundur Sigmundsson bus company makes trips from Reykjavik through Borgarfjordur to Akranes and Borgarnes. The bus goes through Hvalfjordur and stops 10 miles outside of Akranes, where another bus takes over and transports passengers to Akranes.

The first bus goes on through Melasveit to Borgarfjardabru, from which there are two other buses, one that goes straight to Borgarnes. The other bus, which goes to Hvitarvallaskali, Reykholt, and Sidumuli, passes through Stafholtstungur to Varmaland on the way to Borgarnes. The same route is taken back to Borgarfjardarbru, where the two buses meet once again.

There are daily bus trips, often two a day. And on Friday, the bus to Borgarfjordur goes all the way to Husafell, making another stop there on Sunday on its way back to Reykjavik.

Buses make morning departures from Reykjavik every weekday to all of the above-named places except Husafell, and make evening departures from Borgarnes to Reykjavik daily except on Saturday.

There are guided sightseeing tours around Borgarfjordur twice a week, stopping at Husafell, Hvitarsidu, Hraunfossar, and Surtshellir. Passengers can be picked up anywhere along the line, but must arrange for their own meals.