Perlan

Perlan sits on the wooded hill of Oskjuhlid, a glass dome resting on the city's hot-water storage tanks, which is a very Icelandic way to build a landmark. The circular deck outside runs the whole way around and gives the clearest overview of Reykjavik there is: the bay, the airport, the mountains behind and Snaefellsjokull on the horizon when the air is good. Inside, an exhibition covers the country's geology, with a tunnel of real ice built as a walk-through cave, a planetarium showing the aurora and displays on glaciers, volcanoes and the forces that made the island.

History

In 1939 a single hot-water tank was built on Öskjuhlíð, 61 metres above sea level, high enough to supply water anywhere in Reykjavík, and five more were added over the next two decades. In 1991 the six tanks became the base of Perlan, designed by the structural engineer Jón Búi Guðlaugsson, which opened to the public on 21 June 1991 (Wikipedia, Perlan).

The main sights

• The viewing deck - the full circle of city, bay and mountains.
• The ice cave - a walk-through tunnel built from real ice and kept below freezing.
• The planetarium - the aurora and the night sky shown under the dome.
• The geology displays - glaciers, volcanoes and the making of the island.

When to go

Year-round; the exhibition is indoors and weatherproof, and the deck is worth timing for a clear day or for sunset, which in winter arrives conveniently in the afternoon. Tickets are cheaper booked ahead. The ice cave is genuinely cold, so keep a coat with you rather than leaving it in the car.

Things to know

It is priced as a full attraction, and some visitors feel the exhibition is aimed squarely at tourists without adding much to what the landscape itself already shows. The hill is a walk from the centre and the bus is infrequent. On a grey day the view is nothing at all. Children get more from it than adults do.

Nearby

The Oskjuhlid woods, the domestic airport and the Nautholsvik shore lie below the hill.

Key facts