17 Sights in Reykjavik, Iceland (with Map and Images)

Harpa is a concert hall and conference centre on the east bank of Reykjavík Harbour, below the Central Bank of Iceland. The Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Reykjavik Big Band and the Icelandic Opera are based in the building. The building has four halls, the largest of which is Eldborg, designed for large musical events and seats between 1600 and 1800 people. In addition to the halls, there are many large open spaces in the house that are used for events of various kinds. There are two restaurants in the house, on the ground floor and on the top floor. On the ground floor there are also ticket offices and shops. Harpa is 28,000 square meters in size and therefore pays large property fees to the City of Reykjavík. This was long criticized for standing in the way of the financial sustainability of the business. Icelandic the state owns a 54% share in Harpa versus a 46% share in the City of Reykjavík.

Wikipedia: Harpa (tónlistarhús) (IS), Website

The Reykjavik Maritime Museum, formerly Víkin Maritime Museum, is a maritime museum located by the old harbour in the capital of Iceland, Reykjavík and run by Reykjavik City. The museum was established in 2005, and it is now one of five sites belonging to Reykjavik City Museum. There are seven exhibitions at the museum displaying Icelandic maritime history from the early settlements to the late 20th century. An important part of the museum is the Coast Guard and rescue vessel Óðinn. In 2008, the ship was transformed into a museum exhibit about the cod wars in the 1950s and 1970s. The ship also tells about its own history. The museum focuses on the history of fishing in Iceland but also displays temporary exhibitions related to the sea.

Wikipedia: Vikin Maritime Museum (EN), Website

Reykjavík Cathedral is a cathedral church in Reykjavík, Iceland, the seat of the Bishop of Iceland and mother church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland, as well as the parish church of the old city centre and environs. It is located at Austurvöllur, and next to it is Alþingishúsið. Since Iceland's parliament, the Alþingi, was resurrected in 1845, each session of parliament has begun with a Mass at the cathedral, and from there the dean of the cathedral leads the members of parliament to the parliament house.

Wikipedia: Reykjavík Cathedral (EN)

The Sheriff's Park is a park on Main Street in central Reykjavík, south of the Central Market and east of Hotel Uppsala. The Sheriff's Park is one of the oldest parks in Reykjavík. It is the oldest planted tree in Reykjavík, a silver tree planted in 1884. The park is on the corner of Main and Church Street behind the National Telephone House. Today, the park is mostly paved, but original trees still stand. The park stands where there used to be Víkur cemetery, Reykjavík's oldest cemetery.

Wikipedia: Fógetagarðurinn (IS)

Safnahúsið, formerly Þjóðmenningarhúsið [ˈθjouðˌmɛnːiŋkarˌhuːsɪθ], is an exhibition space in Reykjavík, Iceland, which houses an exhibition, Points of View, drawn from various national museums and other cultural institutions. It has been part of the National Museum of Iceland since 2013. The director is Markús Þór Andrésson. The building, Hverfisgata 15, was constructed to house the National Library and at one time also housed a number of other museums.

Wikipedia: Safnahúsið (EN)

ICGV Óðinn is a decommissioned offshore patrol vessel formerly operated by the Icelandic Coast Guard. She is the oldest ship in the coastguard's fleet, and it is believed that her Burmeister & Wain engines are the only such engines that are still serviceable in the world today. Since her withdrawal from active duty, she has served as a floating exhibit at the Reykjavík Maritime Museum in Reykjavík Harbour. The ship is still maintained, and operative as of June 2022.

Wikipedia: ICGV Óðinn (EN)

Hallgrímur Pétursson was an Icelandic poet and a minister at Hvalsneskirkja and Saurbær in Hvalfjörður. Being one of the most prominent Icelandic poets, the Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavík and the Hallgrímskirkja in Saurbær are named in his honor. He was one of the most influential pastors during the Age of Orthodoxy (1580–1713). Because of his contributions to Lutheran hymnody, he is sometimes called the Icelandic Paul Gerhardt.

Wikipedia: Hallgrímur Pétursson (EN)

The Imagine Peace Tower is a memorial to John Lennon from his widow, Yoko Ono, located on Viðey Island in Kollafjörður Bay near Reykjavík, Iceland. Installed in 2007, it consists of a tall tower of light, projected from a white stone monument that has the words "Imagine Peace" carved into it in 24 languages. These words, and the name of the tower, are a reference to Lennon's campaign for peace, and his 1971 song "Imagine".

Wikipedia: Imagine Peace Tower (EN), Website

The Settlement Exhibition Reykjavík 871±2 is an exhibition on the settlement of Reykjavík, Iceland, created by the Reykjavik City Museum. The exhibition is based on the archaeological excavation of the ruin of one of the first houses in Iceland and findings from other excavations in the city centre. The exhibition is located in 101 Reykjavík, on Aðalstræti 16, on the corner of Aðalstræti and Suðurgata.

Wikipedia: Reykjavík 871±2 (EN), Website Is

The Icelandic Phallological Museum, located in Reykjavík, Iceland, houses the world's largest display of penises and penile parts. As of early 2020 the museum moved to a new location in Hafnartorg, three times the size of the previous one, and the collection holds well over 300 penises from more than 100 species of mammal. Also the museum holds 22 penises from creatures and peoples of Icelandic folklore.

Wikipedia: Icelandic Phallological Museum (EN), Website

Höfði is a house in Reykjavík, Iceland, best known as the location for the 1986 Reykjavík Summit meeting of President Ronald Reagan of the United States and General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev of the Soviet Union. This meeting was an important step towards ending of the Cold War. Within the building, the flags of the United States and the Soviet Union are cross-hung to commemorate the meeting.

Wikipedia: Höfði (EN)

Klambratún is an outdoor area in Hlíðahverfi Reykjavík. The area is roughly square and about 10 hectares in size. It is bounded by Rauðarárstígur in the west, Flókagata in the north, Langahlíð in the east and Miklabraut in the south. In the northern part of Klambratún stand Kjarvalsstaðir, an art museum dedicated to the art of Jóhannes Sveinsson Kjarval.

Wikipedia: Klambratún (IS)

Háteigskirkja church stands at the intersection of Háteigsvegur and Langahlíð / Noatún in Reykjavík and is the church of Háteigssafn. The High Priesthood was established by law on July 17, 1952, but in 1963 the parish boundaries changed with the establishment of the Grensás Presbyterian Call. Háteigskirkja church was consecrated Advent in 1965.

Wikipedia: Háteigskirkja (IS)

Perlan is a prominent landmark in the Icelandic capital of Reykjavík. It is situated on the top of Öskjuhlíð hill. It was originally only a cluster of hot water tanks, but in 1991 it was converted to a building open to the public, and now hosts an exhibition, a planetarium, an observation deck, a restaurant, and a cafe.

Wikipedia: Perlan (EN), Website

Reykjavik Art Museum is the largest visual art institution in Iceland. It occupies three locations in Reykjavík; Hafnarhús by the old harbour (64.1490°N 21.9406°W), Kjarvalsstaðir by Klambratún (64.1378°N 21.9135°W) and Ásmundarsafn in Laugardalur (64.1416°N 21.8853°W).

Wikipedia: Reykjavik Art Museum (EN)

Árbæjarsafn is the historical museum of the city of Reykjavík as well as an open-air museum and a regional museum. Its purpose is to give the public an insight into the living conditions, work and recreational activities of the people of Reykjavík in earlier times.

Wikipedia: Árbæjarsafn (EN), Website Is

Landakotskirkja, formally Basilika Krists konungs, is the sole cathedral of the Catholic Church in Iceland. Often referred to as Kristskirkja, Landakotskirkja is located in the western part of Reykjavík, Iceland's capital city.

Wikipedia: Christ the King Cathedral (Reykjavík) (EN)