The Settlement Exhibition

In 2001 building work on Adalstraeti uncovered the wall of a longhouse, and rather than record and remove it the city built the exhibition around it in place, below street level. The hall dates from the tenth century and part of a turf wall beneath it sits under a volcanic ash layer dated to 871 with a margin of two years - the layer that gives the exhibition its other name and that archaeologists across the North Atlantic use as a fixed marker. The display around the ruin is largely digital, reconstructing the building and the landscape of the bay before the town. It is small, indoors and open all year, which makes it a reliable wet-weather hour.

What you actually see

• A tenth century hall in place - excavated and left where it was found.
• The 871 ash layer - the dated marker beneath the oldest wall.
• Digital reconstruction - the hall and the bay before the town existed.
• An indoor hour - small, central and open year round.

When to go

Year round; a good option in bad weather. One to two hours.

Honest expectations

The ruin itself is low walls - most of the impression comes from the screens, which some visitors find thin. It is compact and covered in an hour. It gets busy when cruise ships are in. Entry is charged and combined tickets with the other city museums exist.

Nearby

The old harbour and Harpa are minutes away; Hallgrimskirkja is uphill.