Hvalsneskirkja

Hvalsneskirkja was built in 1887 from local stone cut and dressed on the spot, paid for by the farmer Ketill Ketilsson, and it stands on a low shore of black rock and sand with almost nothing else around it. Its association is with Hallgrimur Petursson, the author of the Passion Hymns and the most important religious poet in Icelandic literature, who served as minister here from 1644. His daughter Steinunn died as a small child and was buried in the churchyard; the stone he is believed to have carved for her was lost for a long time, found later being used as a paving slab, and now stands inside the church.

What you actually see

• A stone church of 1887 - built from rock cut on the site.
• Hallgrimur Petursson's parish - the poet served here from 1644.
• Steinunn's gravestone - lost, found as a paving slab, now inside.
• An empty shore - black rock and sand around the building.

When to go

Year round; the interior is open only at limited times. An hour.

Honest expectations

The church is often locked and there is no fixed schedule for visitors. The site is exposed and there is nothing else nearby. Services take priority over sightseeing. Parking is a gravel area.

Nearby

Sandgerdi is north; Gardur and its lighthouses are beyond.