Reykjavík Sights

  1. Ásmundur Sveinsson Sculpture Garden

    There's something immensely tactile about Ásmundur Sveinsson's monumental concrete creations - see for yourself in the Ásmundur Sveinsson sculpture garden outside the rounded, white Ásmundarsafn.

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  2. Hallgrímskirkja

    Reykjavík's most attention-seeking building is the immense concrete church Hallgrímskirkja, star of a thousand postcards and visible from 20km away. For an unmissable view of the city, make sure you take an elevator trip up the 75m-high tower.

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  3. Leifur Eiríksson statue

    Gazing proudly into the distance outside Hallgrímskirkja church is a statue of the Viking Leifur Eiríksson, the first European to stumble across America. It was a present from the USA on the 1000th anniversary of the Alþing.

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  4. Stórnarráðið

    For an Icelandic joke, at the beginning of Bankastræti look north towards the detached building Stórnarráðið, which contains the prime minister's offices. The statues outside are of Hannes Hafstein, leader of the first home-rule government, and King Christian IX presenting Iceland with its constitution. If you get the right perspective, you can recreate a shot from the cult movie 101 Reykjavík - the king stuffing the constitution up Hafstein's rear.

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  5. Sun-Craft

    Reykjavík is littered with fascinating statues and abstract monuments, but it's Jón Gunnar Árnason's shiplike Sun-Craft sculpture that seems to catch visitors' imaginations. Its situation - facing the sea and snow-capped Esja - may have something to do with it.

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  7. Tjörnin

    Tjörnin is the placid lake at the centre of the city. It echoes with the honks, squawks and screeches of over 40 species of visiting birds, including swans, geese and artic terns; feeding the ducks is a popular pastime for the under fives. Pretty sculpture-dotted parks line the southern shores, and their lacing paths are much used by cyclists and joggers. In winter, hardy souls strap on ice skates and turn the lake into an outdoor rink.

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