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.

Background

The Lutheran church stands in the centre of the city and was designed by Guðjón Samúelsson (1887-1950). Its organ has 3,200 pipes. On the nave balcony, the bas-reliefs are the work of the sculptor Ásmundur Sveinsson (1893-1982), and the altarpiece, dating to 1863, was designed by the Danish artist Edvard Lehmann (1815-1892). The baptismal font of Italian white marble is the work of the Florentine sculptor Corrado Vigni (1888-1956), and the angel font is a replica of a piece by the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770-1844), whose original is in Copenhagen Cathedral, Vor Frue Kirke.

Source: Wikipedia, "Akureyrarkirkja"

What's there

• 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.

Good to know

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.

Key facts