Stykkisholmur
A harbour town of preserved timber houses, with a library made of columns of glacier water.
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Stykkisholmur is the main town on Snaefellsnes and the port for the Breidafjordur ferry, built round a sheltered harbour with a basalt island, Sugandisey, standing over it. The old town has an unusually complete group of nineteenth century timber buildings, among them the Norwegian House of 1832, brought as a kit from Norway by the merchant Arni Thorlacius and now the district museum. The town also holds the Library of Water, an installation by the American artist Roni Horn in a former library: twenty-four glass columns filled with water collected from Icelandic glaciers, standing in a room with the harbour through the windows.
What you actually see
- The Norwegian House of 1832 - shipped as a kit, now the museum.
- A group of timber houses - unusually complete for Iceland.
- The Library of Water - Roni Horn's columns of glacier water.
- Sugandisey over the harbour - the basalt island with the light on top.
When to go
May to September for ferries, museums and boat trips. Half a day.
Honest expectations
Museum and installation hours are seasonal and short in winter. The town is small and covered in an afternoon. Ferry sailings reduce off season. Accommodation fills in July and August.
Nearby
Helgafell is minutes south; Flatey is out in Breidafjordur.
What to pack for Stykkisholmur
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.