The Harbour at Reykjavik are like most harbours around the world, where a number of ships arrive at and depart from. It's also a place, where these ships lay low during a bad weather or so. Moreover, it's the hub of Reykjavik fishermen, who carry their fishing business everyday. So, if you're new in the city or you just want to buy some fresh fish, you should drop by here.
Strandakirkja may be a typical Icelandic rural church built of wood, but it is quite special because of its background and history. It is said that one time seamen in danger vowed to build a church on the spot they landed if they were to live. They saw a light on the shore, and when they approached, there was a bright being standing on the water's edge. They landed safely and built a church as they had vowed. Many people in trouble or in danger still vow that if they get out of it safely, they will give a certain amount of money to Strandakirkja, thus making it one of the richest churches in Iceland. Strandakirkja is located close to the sea, in Engilsvík, Selvogur, approximately 50km from Reykjavík. The church was built shortly before 1900 and was completely rebuilt and redecorated in 1967. Strandakirkja belongs to the Lutheran state church. It serves the few people that live in the neighborhood and its importance stems neither from the building itself nor its religious status, but from the invocation of tradition and history.
The Pentecostal Movement came to Iceland in the 1920s from Scandinavia. There are several congregations in the country, and the Fíladelfía Church was established in Rekjavík in 1936. There are approximately 600 people in the Fíladelfía congregation, but around 1,500 in the Pentecostal Movement as a whole, thus making it the third largest religious movement in Iceland. The building is large and spacious on the inside and well suited for religious ceremonies. Its architectural style, however, is nothing to boast about and the same can be said about the interior.
The Ásmundur Sveinsson Sculpture Museum itself is a part of the collection, as it is a unique building, a mixture of Egyptian pyramids and Arabic domes, mostly designed and built by the artist himself. He also sought inspiration from the Mediterranean countries; the exterior as well as the interior walls are white and smooth, creating a quiet and elegant frame for his provocative and powerful sculptures. Ásmundur Sveinsson (1893-1982) was one of the pioneers of Icelandic sculpture and, like so many of his generation, he was mainly inspired by Icelandic nature and literature, as well as creating grand masterpieces in praise of the common people. While his first sculptures are fairly realistic, he moved on to abstract work in the last decades of his life, and the museum reflects the changes in his artistic vision.
On the western sea shore of Reykjavík lies a cycling and walking path, connected to another walking path that goes through Fossvogsdalur Valley. The walking path is cut across by a road which should only be crossed by the walking bridge built over it! There is also a forest plantation here, called "The Black Forest". These trees are somehow particularly attractive for birds, so the birdlife is particularly colourful.
Gljufrasteinn was the home of Halldor Kiljan Laxness, a celebrated writer of Iceland and probably one of the best writers in the world of literature. Constructed in the year 1945, the structure was designed by Agust Palsson, a noted architect. Now converted into a museum, the building welcomes visitors with a multimedia display about the writer's life and his iconic works. His life is chronicled against the backdrop of key events in the history of Iceland.