Akureyrarkirkja

Akureyrarkirkja was consecrated in 1940 to a design by Gudjon Samuelsson, the state architect who also designed Hallgrimskirkja in Reykjavik, and its two stepped towers above a flight of stairs dominate the town from almost everywhere in it. Inside, a ship hangs from the ceiling in the Nordic tradition of votive offerings by seafarers, and among the stained glass is a window that came from Coventry Cathedral in England - removed before the building was destroyed in the bombing of 1940 and bought later on the market, which is the account given locally. The organ has over three thousand pipes. The stairs from the town centre are the usual approach.

What you actually see

• Gudjon Samuelsson's design - the architect of Hallgrimskirkja, finished 1940.
• A ship hanging inside - a seafarers' votive offering.
• Coventry glass - a window removed before the cathedral was bombed.
• A stair from the town centre - the standard approach.

When to go

Year round; check hours as services take precedence. An hour.

Honest expectations

Opening times are limited and vary with the season and the church calendar. The stairs are steep and icy in winter. Photography inside is restricted during services. Parking near the top is tight.

Nearby

Akureyri's centre is below; the botanical garden is a short walk.