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Tjörnin

Top choice in Reykjavík


The placid lake at the centre of the city is sometimes locally called the Pond. It echoes with the honks and squawks of more than 40 species of visiting birds, including swans, geese and Arctic terns; feeding the ducks is a popular pastime for the under-fives. Pretty sculpture-dotted parks like Hljómskálagarður line the southern shores, and their paths are much used by cyclists and joggers. In winter hardy souls strap on ice skates and the lake transforms into an outdoor rink.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Reykjavík attractions

2. National Gallery of Iceland

0.1 MILES

This pretty stack of marble atriums and spacious galleries overlooking Tjörnin offers ever-changing exhibits drawn from a 10,000-piece collection. The…

3. Ráðhús

0.13 MILES

Reykjavík’s waterside Ráðhús is a beautifully positioned postmodern construction of concrete stilts, tinted windows and mossy walls rising from Tjörnin…

4. Old Reykjavík

0.17 MILES

With a series of sights and interesting historic buildings, the area dubbed Old Reykjavík is the heart of the capital, and the focal point of many…

5. Alþingi

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Iceland’s first parliament, the Alþingi, was created at Þingvellir in AD 930. After losing independence in the 13th century, the country gradually won…

6. Ingibjörg H Bjarnason Statue

0.18 MILES

Two things set the statue of Ingibjörg H Bjarnason apart from other monuments in the area: it depicts a historical female figure and it is not made by…

7. Dómkirkja

0.19 MILES

Iceland’s main cathedral, Dómkirkja is a modest affair, but it played a vital role in the country’s conversion to Lutheranism. The current building (built…

8. Settlement Exhibition

0.21 MILES

This fascinating archaeological ruin-museum is based around a 10th-century Viking longhouse unearthed here from 2001 to 2002 and other Settlement-Era…

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