Austurland, as it is known in Icelandic, is characterized by a different type of landscape than what you have been seeing about the rest of Iceland. Small towns, fjords, stunning waterfalls, and long mountain ranges are a few of the things that make part of the eastern scenery.
Austurland, as it is known in Icelandic, is characterized by a different type of landscape than what you have been seeing about the rest of Iceland. Small towns, fjords, stunning waterfalls, and long mountain ranges are a few of the things that make part of the eastern scenery. Experience nature and the activities it has to offer uniquely. Come and follow our guide around East Iceland.
We are starting the adventure in East Iceland with an incredible and famous hiking spot known as “The Giant Boulders.” Surrounded by giant stones, Stórurð is the place to hike in the East of the country. The vivid turquoise water of the ponds makes the magic of Iceland reach another level; you will remember most of the water around Iceland is more navy blue. The secrecy of this path with moss covered grounds is awe-inspiring, and hiking is highly recommended if you have the time.
Continuing with the walk-hike attitude, we are heading up to Dyrfjöll, a beautiful mountain that used to be a volcano during the last ice age. The highest top reaches 1136 meters high, and you will notice a big gap between the mountain the looks like an opened door. This is why its name means the door mountains. The view of Dyrfjöll it’s breathtaking! Continue the hike from Stórurð to Dyrfjöll. An estimate from the parking lot, then to Stórurð, and to Dyrfjöll can be around 7.5km (3 hours approx).
This fjord is located at the Municipality of Borgarfjarðarhreppur, and it is a small town of around 150 people, known to be the home of the Queen of Elves. Borgarfjörður Eystri is a place to experience by making part of one of the many exciting hiking trails like Víknaslóðir. The dramatic range of mountains for hiking, the elves’ stories and the puffin colony makes of Borgarfjörður Eystri a charming place to visit in East Iceland.
Egilsstaðir is the biggest town of the East of Iceland with a population of 2,306 people. One of the attractiveness of this town is the subarctic climate it has. This means when its winter, it is colder than other parts of Iceland, and in summer it gets warmer than usual. Some favorite places to visit in Egilsstaðir is the Galtastaðir Fram, an old farmhouse from the 19th century that represents how a common Icelandic house-lifestyle was. To visit it is needed to ask the owner for permission first, and especially because it makes part of the preservation list of the National Museum of Iceland. Don’t miss out the Geirsstaðakirkja Turf Church. It is very close to Galtastaðir Fram, and it is also a form of cute turf house.
The town of Seyðisfjörður is known for its flourishing artistic culture, especially in the summertime. Seyðisfjörður is considered a center of Scandinavian spirit and as a portrayer of the work of artist Dieter Roth (1930-1998) in the Skaftafell Cultural Centre. It still is an Icelandic fishing village of about 700 people, but with the touch of a modern city with the fancy wooden houses with bright panels. Walking around the town is beautiful and very enjoyable. Take a walk to Seyðisfjarðarkirkja, a cute and picturesque Lutheran church with a colorful path to it.
We continue our way to a small village which its name translates to Narrow Fjord because the town is sitting on top of one. With a population of only 40 people, it is a pleasant and calm place to visit. With its spectacular cliffs around it, it is the perfect place to hike. You can choose to go from here to Seyðisfjörður, and it will take you around 6 hours, and it is excellent if you do this in the late summer when there is no snow at all.
Take a short stop at Mjóeyri. It is a small place, and perhaps one of the prettiest in the East Fjords. With a lovely shoreline, beautiful bird life and with lots of activities, it is a place to make the stop. There are a lot of guided tours, boat rentals, and angling activities for people visiting.
Hallormsstaður is the National Forest of the East Fjords. People believe Iceland doesn’t have that many forests due to climate, but Hallormsstaður is the largest one in the country, and it covers a vast area of around 740 hectares. It is a peaceful place for you to be surrounded by stunning nature, and there are 11 hiking paths, which are shown in the maps available at the beginning of every trail. The fun thing about this national forest is that there are two camping areas open to the people: Atlavík and Höfðavík.
In 2012, after an archaeological excavation, the ruins of Skriðuklaustur revealed that it was once home of a monastery. The ruins are still shown, and the site is open all year-round. Apart from these ruins, the mansion of the famous Icelandic writer Gunnar Gunnarsson is here. It was built in 1939 as his residency home and entrusted to the nation in 1949. The house is now the center of culture & history with exhibitions and tours run by The Gunnar Gunnarsson Institute. They have a program called In-Residence, which offers writers, composers, scholars, and other artists to use the 2-bedroom apartment for 3 to 6 weeks. What a creative way of enjoying the house of a famous person!
This is The Hanging Waterfall. (I love how the names from Icelandic translate to the English). But they all make sense! Looking the front of the waterfall from the bottom, it really looks its hanging. Hengifoss is the second largest waterfall in Iceland with a height of 128.5 meters, and with its origin from the river Hengifossá. With the surrounding of basaltic rocks with colorful natural red clay layers, Hengifoss is the result of nature’s art.
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