About Iceland, between city life and nature

Some facts

Iceland, with about 103.000 km2 is about three times bigger than Switzerland.

 

Its population is about 370.000 inhabitants, so much less than Zürich. And the incredible fact is: there are more sheeps than people in Iceland, more than double as much!

 

The capital city is Reykjavik and the other biggest city is Akureyri, which is also know as "the capital of the North", situated in the Eyjafjördur.

 

Many people think Iceland is a freezing cold country but actually thanks to the Gulf Stream, Iceland has a temperate climate, with temperatures around 0 °C  to -10 °C  in winter (so not really worse than Switzerland, altough when the arctic wind blows...well, the perceived temperature is much lower ) and around 10 - 15 °C in summer.

 

History

Around 870 A.D. the first Vikings coming from Norway and fleeing conflict  settled in Iceland.

By 930 A.D. there was a form of governance with a sort of parliament, the Althing, situated in Thingvellir.

Until 1260 Iceland remained independent. Afterwards it was under the control of Norway and later of Denmark (that’s also maybe a reason for many Icelanders to study and speak Danish nowadays).

Only in 1944, Iceland declared its independence from Denmark; every year since then, on June 17th, Icelanders commemorate the foundation of the Republic of Iceland.


Events

  •  Þjodhatid (The National Festival) is an annual outdoor festival held in Vestmannaeyjar on the weekend before the first Monday in August
  • Iceland airwaves is a very famous icelandic music festival taking place every year
  • The color run is a marathon event to celebrate happyness, individuality and health
  • Fireworks at Jökulsarlon take place middle of August
  • Reykjavik culture night ranges a lot of cultural events (art exhibitions, theater, science and more) and takes place in August

My MUST SEE in Iceland

Landmannalaugar

Lekafossar

                                  Gjain

(or as I call it the equivalent to a japanese garden in icelandic style)

Vestmannaeyjar

                         Fjadrargljufur Canyon

Studlagil Canyon