Vidimyrarkirkja

Vidimyrarkirkja was built in 1834 by Jon Samsonarson, a farmer and craftsman, and is one of the very few turf churches still standing in Iceland - a building type that was standard for centuries and then disappeared almost completely as timber and concrete replaced it. The walls are turf and stone laid in the herringbone pattern used across the north, the timber frame and interior are original in large part, and the whole thing is small enough to take in at a glance. It is kept by the National Museum and opened in summer. Services are still held in it occasionally, and the churchyard around it is still in use.

What you actually see

• A turf church of 1834 - built by the farmer Jon Samsonarson.
• Herringbone turf walls - the northern laying pattern.
• Largely original interior - timber frame and fittings.
• Still consecrated - occasional services, and a working churchyard.

When to go

June to August, while it is staffed and open. An hour.

Honest expectations

Outside the season you can only see the exterior. The interior is very small and a couple of visitors fill it. Doorways are low. Facilities are a car park and nothing else.

Nearby

Varmahlid is on route 1; Glaumbaer and Saudarkrokur are north.