REYKJAVIK:The good news for Irish visitors is that it no longer costs the earth to visit Iceland, writes PAUL CULLEN.The even better news is that dramatic landscapes, a lively social scene and hardy, upbeat locals await in the country's capital
THE MOST northerly capital in the world is – no surprise – fresh, even on a mid-September day. There’s a gale blowing down Reykjavik’s main shopping street, Laugavegur, that would stop a train, and squally showers are the order of the day.
It’s all a bit like home, you think, only something is different, something you can’t immediately put your finger on. Finally, when even the grimmest patch of weather fails to darken the spirit, it hits home. The light is brighter, more insistent, than in Ireland at this time of year. It’s as though the sea and its limitless, low horizon is just around the corner. Perhaps the sun is making up for its inevitable absence over much of the winter.
As in Ireland, the challenging weather in Iceland can make for a lively social scene. Pushed indoors by the elements over much of the year, the denizens of Iceland’s mini-sized capital head for Reykjavik’s scores of attractive bars, cafes and restaurants.
Icelanders are a hardy, self-sufficient, self-possessed, progressive bunch. The United Nations says this is the best place in the world to be a woman and the current prime minister, Johanna Sigurdardottir, is the world’s first openly gay leader. The good news for Irish visitors is that it no longer costs the earth to visit, not since the country’s ignominious financial crash in 2008.
Since then, the Icelandic krone has lost half its value, to the chagrin of the locals but the advantage of tourists. It isn’t exactly cheapsville, but regular visitors to Scandinavia will be pleasantly surprised to find, on average, prices are broadly similar to those in Ireland.
Since our own financial collapse, a bit of a cottage industry has grown up in Ireland which looks constantly at Iceland and asks, “What if?” The route to destruction was remarkably similar: light-touch regulation, money-mad banks and a property bubble, leading to a huge implosion. The fascination in visiting Reykjavik now is in seeing how the spiky Icelanders seem to have gotten away with it. It’s not all sweetness and light, as the locals will quickly tell you, but there is a sense that while Ireland is still trudging through austerity, the Icelanders are putting their troubles behind them.
The most striking feature about Reykjavik is its size: while two-thirds of the country’s population live here or hereabouts, it’s a tiny settlement, no bigger than Galway. Most of the main sights and shopping attractions are located in a small central area close to the hotels.
The main attractions can be toured in half a day or so. There’s the Hallgrímskirkja, the tallest church in Iceland; its modernist design, which takes the form of a basalt lava flow, wins little praise from visitors but most still head up for the viewing deck on top. The Imagine Peace Tower, built by Yoko Ono as a tribute to John Lennon, directs a powerful beam of light into the sky. Reykjavik’s art museum, split into three spaces, is also worth a look. At the national museum, a bus-ride from the city centre, you can explore the unique history of the Icelanders, intertwined with that of Ireland since the days of the Viking slave raids.
A short walk will take you past the building that houses Iceland’s parliament, the Althingi, one of the oldest elected assemblies in the world. It was before this building that demonstrators gathered in 2008 and threw tomatoes, eggs and the odd Molotov cocktail. The new Harpa concert hall on the waterfront deserves a visit, even if you are not going to a concert; the building houses a fine, light-filled restaurant, cafes, and one of the city’s best music shops.
In recent years, musicians such as Björk and Sigur Ros have given Iceland an international reputation in music, and even if the big artists are not in town during your visit, you’re likely to come across plenty of live music, from male voice choirs practising in city cafes to brass bands in the local park.
Remote though it is from the rest of Europe, Reykjavik has played a prominent role in modern history. Gorbachov and Reagan held their historic summit here, in the former French consulate, in 1986. Chess enthusiasts are expected to turn up in great numbers next year to mark the 40th anniversary of the east/west clash between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky for the world title, which took place in an unprepossessing sports arena on the outskirts.
Iceland is famous as a land of volcanos, thermal springs and geysers, and Reykjavik is no exception. Its name means “smoky bay”, and swimming in thermally heated pools is a favourite activity for the locals. Most visitors end up in the Blue Lagoon, a swanky thermal pool 40 minutes from the city, filled with the runoff from a nearby geothermal power plant. Here you can wallow in the warm waters and slather your face with the naturally occurring silica mud. At €30, it’s too expensive for the locals, but visitors often fit in a visit on the way to or from the airport.
Attractive though the city is, it says something that the best reason for visiting Iceland is to experience the natural wonders beyond the city, from glaciers to hot springs. If time allows, book a tour of the Golden Circle, where the sights include Geysir, the original of hot springs, and the massive Gullfoss waterfall. Visitors with more time might want to try glacier hiking, horseriding, birdwatching, helicopter tours and, in winter if you’re lucky, views of the Northern Lights. And after some bracing Icelandic adventure, the comforts of Reykjavik are likely to prove more tempting than ever.
Get there
There are no direct flights between Ireland and Iceland. Getting to Reykjavik involves taking a flight to London, Glasgow or Manchester, and then taking an Icelandair connection, costing from €150 to €350. IcelandExpress is a budget airline with connections from London and Edinburgh, mostly in the summer months. It should be possible to book connecting flights for about €500 if you can be flexible with dates.
Keflavik airport is a 40- to 50-minute drive to Reykjavik; taxis are ridiculously expensive but the bus costs about €25 return.
Reykjavik where to . . .
Stay
Value:Salvation Army Guesthouse, Kirkjustraeti 2, 101 Reykjavik, 00-354-5613203, guesthouse.is. The Salvation Army has run a guesthouse in Reykjavik since 1898, and the present building, ideally located near the parliament and other sights, has been in operation since 1916. It's all prim and proper here, clean but unfussy, with communal toilets and bathrooms. The multibedded rooms offer good value but you can also get doubles and singles. Double rooms from €72; breakfast costs another €5.
Mid-market: Hotel Plaza, Aðalstræti 4, 101 Reykjavík, 00-354-5958500, centerhotels.com. Named for the square it overlooks, this hotel's main advantage is its downtown location. There's a good view of the square, but this can be a disadvantage if things get noisy. Rooms can be small and it's best to ask for the newer ones. Bus passengers have a short walk from their drop-off point to the hotel. Standard double rooms from €94.
Upmarket: Hotel Holt, Bergstadastraeti 37, 101 Reykjavik, 00-354-5525700, holt.is. An art gallery within a hotel, the Holt claims to house Iceland's largest privately held art collection. Conveniently located on a quiet sidestreet, it's just minutes' walk from the main attractions. This is a family-run hotel, open since 1965, and much of the art is on view in the restaurant. Double rooms from €143.
Eat
Value:Bæjarins Beztu, Bollagarðar 4, 170 Seltjarnarnes, 00-354 8944515, bbp.is. The locals swear by it this hot dog van, located near the harbour. Icelanders love their hot dogs, which are served with a variety of coverings. Bill Clinton might have drunk pints of Guinness in Dublin but he was brought here during his visit to Reykjavik, and there's a photo of him on the wall of the van to prove it. Open since 1937.
Mid-market:Vid Tjornina, Templarasundi 3, 101 Reykjavil, 00-354-5518666, vidtjornina.is. A long-established seafood restaurant in a quirky house located near the city's "pond". Cod is a speciality, with estragon sauce, combined with pork belly, or in a red wine sauce. Even some of the meat dishes have a nautical slant, such as guillemot with port. It also serves lamb fillet served with garlic potatoes, and a surprisingly taste line in desserts, including traditional Icelandic skyr, or soft cheese, served with berries. A five-course meal will set you back less than €50.
Upmarket:Lava Restaurant, Blue Lagoon, 240 Grindavík, 00-354-4208800, bluelagoon.com. Most visitors to Iceland end up at the Blue Lagoon thermal baths, but not many stay on for a meal at the inhouse restaurant. Which is a pity, given the spectacular setting. The restaurant is built into a cliff overlooking the lagoon, and there are great views of the area and the night sky. The interiors are impressive, thanks to the size of the space and the chic decor. Only the tinkly piano music in the background strikes a bum note. Fish features strongly on the menu, but there are also steaks, burgers and a vegetable lasagne to choose from.
