Eyrarbakki

Eyrarbakki is a small village on the South Coast that was once Iceland’s principal trading port and one of its most important settlements. For centuries it served as the main gateway for goods arriving from Europe, and its relative wealth is still evident in the survival of a remarkable cluster of nineteenth-century timber houses, quite unlike anything seen in most of Iceland.

The Húsið heritage museum occupies one of the oldest surviving wooden houses in Iceland (built around 1765) and tells the story of the village’s maritime and commercial past. Nearby, the old prison, post office, and sheriff’s residence are among the best-preserved historic streetscapes in the country.

Eyrarbakki is just off Route 1, about ten kilometres west of Selfoss. It makes an easy short detour and can be combined with the equally charming neighbouring village of Stokkseyri. Access is free year-round; the museum is open in summer (check official site for hours).