Tröllaskagi (Troll Peninsula) rests its vast mountainous bulk between Skagafjörður and Eyjafjörður. Here the craggy mountains, deep valleys and gushing rivers are reminiscent of the Westfjords, but bigger. Tunnels link the northern townships of Siglufjörður and Ólafsfjörður, once dead-end towns that saw little tourist traffic.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Tröllaskagi.
Museum
Lovingly created over 16 years, this award-winning museum does a stunning job of recreating Siglufjörður’s boom days between 1903 and 1968, when it was the herring-fishing capital of Iceland. Set in three buildings that were part of an old Norwegian herring station, the museum brings the work and lives of the town’s inhabitants vividly to life.
Museum
Several restored harbourside buildings have been turned into a museum exploring the reasons behind Icelanders’ emigration to North America, their hopes for a new life and the reality of conditions when they arrived. Incredibly, this small country lost 16,000 emigrants from 1870 to 1914, leaving behind a 1914 population of only 88,000. The main exhibition, ‘New Land, New Life’, follows the lives of emigrating Icelanders through carefully curated photographs, letters and displays.
Church
Completed in 1763, Hólar’s red-sandstone cathedral is the oldest stone church in Iceland and brimming with historical works of art, including a 1674 baptismal font carved from a piece of soapstone that washed in from Greenland on an ice floe. Check online for summer concert series.
Museum
Dalvík’s quality folk museum is high on oddball factor. Skip the usual taxidermic characters (yes, another polar bear) and find the rooms dedicated to the poignant story of local giant Jóhan Pétursson. At 2.34m (almost 7ft 7in), Jóhan was Iceland’s (and some say the world's) tallest man.
Museum
Traditional-music enthusiasts may be interested in this sweet little museum that displays 19th-century instruments and offers recordings of Icelandic songs and chants. Admission free with a ticket to the Herring Era Museum.
Museum
The admission price gets you a personalised tour around this comprehensive exhibit on Iceland’s unique horse breed and its role in Iceland’s history. It’s fittingly located in an old stable at the heart of the Hólar estate.
Brewery
Sample tasty local brews at this microbrewery that's open for two visitors or more for a tour and tasting (2500kr). Usually open on Friday and Saturday, it pays to call first to double-check.
Museum
Náttúrugripasafnið is a small natural history museum; it’s Ólafsfjörður’s only formal sight.