The Settlement Center

The Settlement Center occupies two old warehouse buildings in Borgarnes and runs two separate exhibitions with audio guides. The first covers the settlement of Iceland - why people left Norway, how they navigated, what they brought and what they found. The second follows Egils saga, the life of Egill Skallagrimsson: poet, mercenary, killer, a difficult and compelling figure whose family settled exactly here. Borgarnes is his district, and the mound where his father Skallagrimur is said to be buried is a short walk away in the middle of the town. The audio guides run in many languages and carry most of the content.

What you actually see

• Two exhibitions in one place - settlement and Egils saga.
• Egill in his own district - the saga's ground is the town outside.
• Skallagrimur's mound - a short walk away in the town.
• Audio guides in many languages - the main way the story is told.

When to go

Year round; a reliable stop in bad weather. Two to three hours.

Honest expectations

There are few original objects - this is storytelling with models and audio, which suits some visitors and not others. Both exhibitions together take a couple of hours and are charged accordingly. The restaurant in the building is popular and can be busy.

Nearby

Borgarnes town is around it; Reykholt and Deildartunguhver are inland.