Djupivogur

Djupivogur is one of the older trading places in Iceland, licensed in the sixteenth century, and the old warehouse Langabud on the harbour front dates from the late eighteenth. Along the quay at Gledivik stands the work the village is known for: Eggin i Gledivik by Sigurdur Gudmundsson, thirty-four granite eggs on concrete plinths, each one modelled on the egg of a bird that nests in the district and named for it, with the largest representing the red-throated diver. The village signed up to the Cittaslow movement in 2013, committing to a deliberately slow approach to development, and the mountain Bulandstindur stands behind it.

History

Djúpivogur is home to Langabúð, one of the oldest commercial buildings in Iceland, and by the early nineteenth century it was a tiny port with a Danish colonial trading base. Hans Jonatan, who had been enslaved in Copenhagen, escaped here and became one of the first people of colour in Iceland; the work "Eggin í Gleðivík", replicas of the eggs of 34 local nesting birds by Sigurður Guðmundsson, was installed in the summer of 2009 (Wikipedia, Djúpivogur).

What's there

• Thirty-four granite eggs - one for each local nesting bird, on the quay.
• Langabud on the harbour - a warehouse from the late eighteenth century.
• A Cittaslow village - signed up in 2013 to slow development.
• Bulandstindur behind - the pyramid mountain over the fjord.

When to go

May to September for open services and boats to Papey if running. Half a day.

Practical notes

The village is small and quiet by design. Services and museums keep seasonal hours. Boat trips to Papey have run intermittently and cannot be assumed. It is a long drive from anywhere on the ring road.

Nearby

Teigarhorn is minutes north; Papey lies offshore.

Key facts