Showing 1-9 of 9 results
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Húsavík Whale Museum
Best visited before you head out on a whale-watching trip, the excellent Húsavík Whale Museum will tell you all you ever needed to know about these gracious creatures. Housed in an old slaughterhouse at the harbour, the museum looks at the ecology and habits of whales, orcas, dolphins and other marine mammals, whale conservation, and the history of whaling in Iceland.
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Húsavíkurfjall
In a couple of hours you can make it up the steep trail (4.9km) to the summit of 417m-high Húsavíkurfjall. The view from the top, alongside the communication antennae, is fantastic and on exceptionally clear days you can see the Vatnajökull icecap. The path starts on the main road just 1.8km north of town.
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Húsavíkurkirkja
Húsavík'slovely and unusual church is quite different to anything else seen in Iceland. Constructed in 1907 from Norwegian timber, the delicately proportioned red-and-white church would look more at home in the Alps. Inside its cruciform shape becomes apparent and is dominated by a depiction of the resurrection of Lazarus on the altarpiece. The carved font is also worth seeking out, as are the 17th-century murals and candlesticks.
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Hveravellir
The geothermal site Hveravellir, on Rte 87, about 26km south of Húsavík, provides some of Húsavík's hot-water supply. The farm here sells fresh vegetables from its geothermally heated greenhouses.
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Icelandic Phallological Museum
The unique Icelandic Phallological Museum houses a bizarre collection of penises of all shapes and sizes. There are over 180 pickled, dried and stuffed specimens in the museum, showing off the crown jewels of everything from hamsters to a blue whale. The only missing exhibit is that of a human. But don't rush, four donors-in-waiting have been found to add to the collection in the future.
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Lake Botnsvatn
It's a 5.2km walk around the Lake Botnsvatn, in a hollow behind the village, where reafforestation projects are greening the landscapeCampers are welcome by the lake, but there are no facilities.
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Lundey & Flatey
The small islands of Lundey & Flatey lie anchored in Skjálfandi, near Húsavík. Lundey (Puffin Island), rises dramatically from the sea in a series of high, nest-covered cliffs and is a breeding ground for puffins, fulmars and other sea birds. Flatey (Flat Island) lives up to its name, rising only a couple of metres above sea level. It's now abandoned, but as recently as 1942 it had a population of more than 100.
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Safnahúsið Á Húsavík
The Safnahúsið Á Húsavík is one of the best local museums you'll find in Iceland. The museum occupies the 1st and 3rd floor of the building (the town library is on the 2nd floor) and a nearby annexe. The natural-history display has the usual array of stuffed animals, including arctic foxes, a frightening-looking hooded seal, and a stuffed polar bear, which was welcomed to Grímsey in 1969 with both barrels of a gun.
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Skrúðgardin
The small town park Skrúðgardin is a lovely place running along the southern bank of the Buðará river. It's a relaxing spot for a walk, and there are several heritage houses scattered around, including one of Húsavík's original homes, Arholt.
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Showing 1-9 of 9 results
