Arctic Henge
A stone circle begun in 1996 on the edge of the Arctic Circle, still unfinished and built from a poem.
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The Arctic Henge stands on a rise above Raufarhofn, the northernmost village in Iceland, and is a modern monument laid out to catch the sun: gates aligned on solstices and other points in the year, with a central column and an outer ring of stones. Its scheme comes from Voluspa, the Old Norse poem, and specifically from the list of dwarf names in it, with seventy-two positions planned around the circle for the divisions of the old year. Work began in 1996 and has gone in fits and starts since, funded locally, so the structure is still incomplete. The village behind it lost most of its population when the herring went, and the henge was built partly to give people a reason to come.
What you actually see
- Gates aligned on the sun - solstice and seasonal sightlines.
- A plan taken from Voluspa - the dwarf names and seventy-two divisions.
- Unfinished since 1996 - built slowly with local funding.
- A village that emptied - Raufarhofn after the herring collapse.
When to go
June for midnight sun through the gates; winter nights for aurora. An hour.
Honest expectations
It is incomplete, and looks it - some sections are foundations. Raufarhofn is a long detour from the ring road with few services. The hill is fully exposed to wind. There are no facilities at the monument.
Nearby
Hraunhafnartangi is north; Langanes lies east.
What to pack for Arctic Henge
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
