Alþingishúsið

About Alþingishúsið

Alþingishúsið is the Icelandic parliament building, a plain house of dark gray stone facing Austurvöllur square in central Reykjavík. For a national parliament it's surprisingly modest, small enough to miss if you're hurrying past, yet it houses an assembly that first met in the open air at Þingvellir in 930 and moved in here when the house was finished in 1881.

The Danish architect Ferdinand Meldahl designed it, and it was built in 1880 and 1881 from hewn Icelandic dolerite. On the facade, look for reliefs of Iceland's four guardian spirits, a dragon, a vulture, a giant and a bull, the same figures that appear on the national coat of arms. A round extension called Kringlan was added in 1908, and a modern annex followed in 2002.

Because it's a working parliament, you see most of the Parliament House in Reykjavík from the square, but you can still go inside to watch a debate. The public gallery is entered from the east side of the building, and sittings are open to the public. Alþingi normally sits Monday to Thursday, starting at 3 pm on Monday, 1:30 pm on Tuesday, 3 pm on Wednesday and 10:30 am on Thursday, with breaks during recesses.

Guided tours of the interior are free and last 45 to 60 minutes, but they run only outside session times and mainly for groups with an educational purpose, booked well in advance. For most travelers, 15 minutes on Austurvöllur is enough, ideally combined with Dómkirkjan next door, Reykjavík City Hall and the Tjörnin pond, all within a few minutes' walk.