Husavik
- Perfect center for tourism -
The Husavikurbaer municipality of 2.500 inhabitants, consits of Husavik town on the peninsula Tjornes and further south the agricultural area Reykjahverfi. Husavikurbaer is a perfect centre for indiviual tourists and groups travelling in the northeast of Iceland.
Overnight accomodations are provided by Fosshótel Husavik , the Guesthouse arból, Kalbaks-Kot Cottages and Þórdarstadir. Sleeping bag facilities and campground offered in Heidarbaer.
The Husavik campsite , at the north edge of Husavik town, offers good accommodations.
Restaurants; Fosshótel Husavik has a good restaurant and Sports Bar. Salka restaurant, on the main street, is housed in the renovated store building of Iceland’s first cooperative society, which was founded in 1882 by farmers in the district. Down by the harbour is Gamli Baukur restaurant, in a house which is a replica of a 19th century restaurant in Husavik.
The area offers an ample selection of easy hikes through varied landscape, e.g. along the shores of the bay, along the town river Budara where one can stroll in a beautiful groomed park, around the Lake Botnsvatn where trout fishing is free of charge, or up the Husavik- mountain, 417 m. above sea level, where on a clear day one is rewarded with an excellent view north to Grimsey on the Arctic Circle, and Vatnajokull to the south, Europe´s largest glacier.
Husavik Church has, since it was dedicated in 1907, served as a symbol for Husavik, regarded by many Icelanders to be the most beautiful wooden church in the country.
Main industries in Husavik are fishing and fish processing but also different service industries, both public and private, agriculture in Reykjahverfi, and tourism. Tourism has been growing very rapidly in the last few years, especially in connection with Whale Watching tours on Skjalfandi-bay from Husavik harbour on traditional renovated fishing boats. Such has the growth been in these tours that Husavik town is now well known as The Whale Watching Capital of Europe.
Hvalamidstodin - The Husavik Whale Centre, (founded in 1998) is Icelands´s only centre dedicated to the study and appreciation of these mammals. A new exhibiton opened in 2002 which offers fact-filled information, skeletons and skulls of whales and other items which educate about the species of whales in Icelandic waters and the history of whaling around Iceland.
Safnahusid – that is “The Museum-House” is the District Culture Centre and was opended in 1980. It consits of; District Folk Museum, Maritime Museum (which opened in 2002), Natural History Collection, District Archives, Photo Archives and Collection of Paintings.
Bókasafnid - The Husavik Library (located in the same building) offers divergent services including internet access (free of charge) which many tourist appreciate.
Husavik Swimmingpool- is a nice year round geothermally heated outdoor pool, with hot pots, a steambath, a special warm pool and slides for children. It is open from early morning until late in the evening.
Heidarbaer Swimmingpool - in Reykjahverfi is open daily in the summer. Heidarbaer is aprox. 15 km. south of Husavik town on the rout to Mývatn.
Husavikurbaer being located near the Arctic Circle enjoys 24 hours daylight in summer, and the midnight sun often gives the sky a romantic, coloured glow. In the winter when the nights are long the night sky is frequently decorated with the Northern Lights and stars. (A research station for the study of the Northern Lights is situated in Manarbakki, further north on the peninsula).
A central point – The Husavik municipality is near many of Iceland´s most beautiful and acknowledged natural treasures. The river Laxa, renowned as one of Iceland´s best and most beautiful salmon-fishing rivers is just to the south. Laxa flows from Lake Mývatn through Laxardalur and Laxargljufur-canyon where one finds the hydroelectric power plant Laxarvirkjun, first section built in 1939. Inside the plant cultural art exhibitons are held in the summer-months (32 km. away). Near the power plant, at Grenjadarstadur-Museum, (open in the summer) one can visit the biggest preserved 19th century turf building in Iceland. Lake Mývatn – This most popular tourist resort in Iceland is only 45 min. drive away with its spectacular nature and rich bird life. The lake is Icelands´s fourth largest and the region provides nesting grounds for one of the world´s largest concentrations of duck species. Also located near Mývatn are Dimmuborgir, extraordinary lava formations; Namaskard, solfataras (sulphurous mud springs) and fumaroles (steam springs), Skutustadagigar, a cluster of pseudo craters. Not far from Mývatn is Krofluvirkjun, a geothermal power plant, transforming the earth´s heat into electricity.
Aproximatly 45 min. drive to the southwest is the beautiful Godafoss in the glacial river Skjalfandafljót. On the way one can stop to visit The Transportaion Museum at Ystafell which opened a special exhibition in year 2000.
North of Husavik, the Tjornes peninsula is known for fossilised seashells from pre-historic times some of which are on display at Hallbjarnarstadir fossil Museum. Little further north Manarbakki Museum houses an interesting collection of houshold items from the 1920´s.
The National Park in Jokulsargljufur is about 65 km. northeast of Husavik. Fantastic rock and earth formations have created Hólmatungur, Hljódakletta and asbyrgi. Nearby in Jokulsa a Fjollum is Europe´s most powerful waterfall, Dettifoss, 44 m high, with average water discharge of 180 m3 per second.
Less than half day drive from Husavik, in the wilderness of the interior are some well known places of interest such as Herdubreid,’queen of Icelandic mountains’. At its root is the oasis Herdubreidarlindir.
Askja a huge volcanic caldera in the Dyngjufjoll mountains; and Kverkfjoll a geothermal area in the northern edge of Vatnajokull glacier.
The above is just to give you some ideas of what you can enjoy and explore during your next visit to Husavik.
www.husavik.is
