French Museum in Fáskrúðsfjörður
About French Museum in Fáskrúðsfjörður
The French Museum in Fáskrúðsfjörður is an exhibition about the French fishermen who sailed to East Iceland, housed in the restored French hospital and doctor's house on Hafnargata in the village of Fáskrúðsfjörður. From the late 1800s until 1935, the fjord was the main base for French crews fishing cod in the waters off eastern Iceland. The museum tells their story through artifacts, wax figures and re-created sailors' quarters.
The French hospital was built in 1903 to treat sick and injured sailors. In 1939 it was moved to another spot and spent decades as an apartment building and a school, until a decision in 2008 to rebuild it on its original site. Today the old buildings form Fosshotel Eastfjords, and the museum's main exhibition runs through the tunnel under Hafnargata that links the doctor's house to the hospital.
You enter the French Museum through the hotel reception in the doctor's house. Hotel guests get discounted admission, and everyone else pays a ticket price that you should confirm at the desk, since prices and opening hours change by season. Plan on 45 minutes to an hour to see the exhibition properly, longer if you read every panel.
Fáskrúðsfjörður sits on Route 1 in the Eastfjords, about 50 minutes by car from Egilsstaðir and an hour and a half from Djúpivogur. The museum makes a good indoor stop on a wet day of Ring Road driving, and the hotel's restaurant is in the same complex if you want lunch.
Good to know
What is the French Museum in Fáskrúðsfjörður?
It is an exhibition about the French fishermen who used Fáskrúðsfjörður as their base in East Iceland from the late 1800s until 1935. It is housed in the restored French hospital and doctor's house.
Where is the French Museum in Iceland?
The museum is on Hafnargata in Fáskrúðsfjörður, a village on Route 1 in the Eastfjords. The entrance is through the reception of Fosshotel Eastfjords, about 50 minutes by car from Egilsstaðir.
Why were the French in Fáskrúðsfjörður?
French fishing crews worked the cod grounds off East Iceland for decades, and Fáskrúðsfjörður became their main harbor and service base. The French built a hospital there in 1903 to care for sick and injured sailors.
Is the French Museum free for hotel guests?
Guests of Fosshotel Eastfjords get discounted admission. Other visitors buy a ticket at the hotel reception.
How long does it take to see the French Museum?
Most visitors spend 45 minutes to an hour in the exhibition. Allow more if you want to read all the displays or stay for a meal at the hotel restaurant.
Is there a restaurant at the French Museum?
Yes. The hotel that houses the museum has a French-inspired restaurant overlooking the harbor, so you can pair the exhibition with a meal.
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