Seyðisfjörður
Seyðisfjörður is a small town of around 700 people at the innermost point of a steep-sided fjord in East Iceland, reached by the winding mountain pass road over Fjarðarheiði from Egilsstaðir. It is unlike almost anywhere else in Iceland: a compact, architecturally distinctive town with Norwegian-influenced timber buildings in multiple colours, a rainbow-painted street leading to the blue Bláa Kirkjan church, and a cultural scene built around artist residencies, the annual LungA art festival, and weekly summer concerts. It is also Iceland's only port with a direct ferry connection to mainland Europe, via the Norræna ferry service from Denmark and the Faroe Islands.
An East Iceland Fjord Town with Colourful Houses, a Rainbow Street, and a Ferry to Denmark
Seyðisfjörður developed as a trading and fishing port in the late 19th century, and much of the Norwegian timber architecture from that period survives intact, giving the town a coherence and visual identity rare in Iceland. The arrival of Norwegian traders and entrepreneurs in the 1890s brought both the building styles and the economic foundation that allowed the town to establish itself. The Bláa Kirkjan, the blue church at the top of the rainbow street, was built in 1922 and is the most photographed building in the Eastfjords. The rainbow road leading to it, painted in the colours of the LGBT pride flag, has become one of the most shared images of East Iceland and draws visitors who might not otherwise venture this far from the Ring Road. The town sits surrounded by waterfalls that cascade from the steep fjord walls above, and the view arriving over the Fjarðarheiði pass and seeing Seyðisfjörður spread out below is one of the more dramatic first impressions in the country.
Seyðisfjörður has developed a genuine arts community rather than a manufactured one. The Skaftfell Art Center runs exhibitions and supports artist residencies year-round, and the LungA Art Festival each July brings international artists and performers to the town for a week of events. The Bláa Kirkjan hosts concerts most Wednesdays throughout the summer, drawing audiences from across the region. The town has attracted a community of creative residents who have moved here specifically for the environment and pace, and the combination of physical beauty, cultural activity, and relative isolation gives it an atmosphere quite different from more heavily visited parts of Iceland. The Skálanes nature reserve, about 17 kilometres from town, covers 1,250 hectares of fjord-edge habitat and supports 47 bird species.
Seyðisfjörður is the Icelandic port for the Norræna ferry, which connects Denmark, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland on a weekly service during summer. This makes the town the arrival point for many travellers beginning a Ring Road trip from western Europe, and for IUN guests connecting between Faroe Islands and Iceland itineraries. The town is 27 kilometres from Egilsstaðir via Route 93, a drive of around 30 minutes that crosses the Fjarðarheiði mountain pass. The pass can close in winter due to snow. From Reykjavík the drive takes around eight hours along the Ring Road.
