Iceland is a country in progress. From a remote half-unknown island, a desolate treeless land of volcanoes, canyons, torrents and waterfalls with a few small fishing villages along the coast, Iceland has been changing rapidly into a modern country where the savage Nature is a plus to civilization; the coastal settlements are now coulourful and pretty, culturally eventful, displaying all modern comfort and facilities.
The island's circular road has been improved with tunnels, so that travelling is also easyer. This region of the extreme North, where Akureyri is the main thriving town, offers some of the best landscapes and attractive villages.
In the northern coast of Ireland, just a few miles south of the Arctic Circle and west of the large Eyja fjord, Siglufjörður is an old small fishing town that has become recently seeked for thanks to the viewing of Auroras - it's a privileged viewing point, and visitors from all the world are coming for the show.
Siglufjörður was inaccessible by road until 1940, but can now be reached via new tunnels linking to the main northern road, and has been improved with museums, cafés and a few shops, a new hotel and modern restaurants. All that, keeping alive the traditional fishing activities.
Siglufjörður is located on the left bank of its own narrow fjord, and surrounded by steep mountains.
Siglufjörður, northern Iceland
Coordinates: 66° 11′ N, 18° 53′ W
(22 km south of the arctic circle)
Population: ~1300
The local administration and the residents keep renovating some of the old houses, so the town looks almost brand new.
An Icelandic beauty.
The port and leisure area
In the last century, the town experienced dramatic changes (that can be viewed in the Herring Museum). At one point, it was the busiest place in Iceland during summer and the center of the booming herring industry.
But the port keeps a strong local position for fishing cod, haddock, saithe, redfish, halibut, and also shrimp, flatfish, lobster. Freezing industry is also at full work, and Siglufjörður is still the largest cod landing port in Iceland.
The red, the yellow and the blue
Three fishing warehouses were converted for leisure and tourism as cafés, art galleries and other events. Each one painted in a different (bright) colour.
Behind the Rauðka (red) and the yellow, there is the Bláa (blue) house
The Herring Era Museum
The Museum is installed since 1994 in warehouses that were part of an old Norwegian herring station. The assembly, construction and installation of the Museum was completed in 2003.
The three exhibit buildings tell the stories of the people who worked in the herring industry, of the factories and products, and of the fishing work and fishing boats.
The three buildings are the Salthúsið (Salt house), the Grána fish processing house and the larger boat house Bátahúsið.
The main building is a salting station from 1907. In front there is an old pier with work stations for the salting process
The fish processing provided herring to export to Europe and North America in the form of fish meal for feed and fertilizer; and fish oil, for use in all manner of household products, from floor wax to hair cream.
The Folk Music Center
When visiting the Folk Music Center guests get an idea about Icelandic folk music, hearing local people singing traditional rhymes and folk songs.
The Folk Music Centre in another of Siglufjörður’s oldest houses, the Madame House (Maðdömuhús,1884).
The Icelandic Poetry Center, "Ljóðasetur islands":
Ljóðasetur islands offers the opportunity to browse poetry books and experience live events.
The Siglufjörður Hotel
Skarðdal forest, at 66° 8' N
A program of forestation has been developed at Skarðalur, near Siglo; the forest 'opened' in 2015, and it's the northernmost planted forest in Iceland, reaching Arctic latitudes. Mainly birch, spruce, pine and larch have been planted, and the system reached a development allowing for leisure, with nature paths for visitors.
Finally, some Aurora fotos from Siglufjörður and surroundings:
What a wonderful, magic place this is, don't you agree ?
