Hofskirkja Turf Church
About Hofskirkja Turf Church
Hofskirkja looks more like a grassy mound with a front door than a church, and that is exactly why it's worth the short detour off Route 1. The Hof church in Öræfi is a small turf church built between 1883 and 1885, with stone side walls, a turf-covered roof and a timber gable facing the churchyard.
Records of a church at Hof go back to 1343, when it was a farm church dedicated to Saint Clement. The current building was made by Páll Pálsson, a carpenter from the nearby farm Hörgsdal, and it measures only 9.8 by 4.5 meters. By the middle of the 20th century it was in poor shape, so the National Museum of Iceland took ownership in return for paying for the repairs, and it was taken down and rebuilt in its original form in 1953 and 1954.
The setting adds to the visit. Around the church is a churchyard with raised, grass-covered graves in the old style, and behind it the slopes of Öræfajökull rise above the farms of Hof. Look closely at the east gable, which still has old timber siding, while the interior was finished later.
Hof sits just off Route 1 in Öræfi, about 20 kilometers (some 20 minutes) east of the Skaftafell visitor center and about 38 kilometers west of Jökulsárlón. From Reykjavík it is roughly 340 kilometers, a drive of about four and a half to five hours. The National Museum lists the church as open to view at any time but only from the outside, so plan on 15 to 20 minutes for a walk around the building and the churchyard.
Summer is when the roof is at its greenest, but the Hofskirkja turf church makes a quiet stop on a Ring Road drive in any season. It pairs well with a hike in Skaftafell or an afternoon at the glacier lagoons farther east.
Good to know
Where is Hofskirkja turf church?
Hofskirkja stands at the hamlet of Hof in Öræfi, southeast Iceland, just off Route 1. It is about 20 kilometers east of the Skaftafell visitor center and about 38 kilometers west of Jökulsárlón.
How old is Hofskirkja?
The current church was built between 1883 and 1885 and was rebuilt to its original form in 1953 and 1954. A church at Hof is first recorded in 1343.
Can you go inside Hof church in Iceland?
The National Museum of Iceland, which owns the church, says it can be visited at any time but only from the outside. Expect to see the turf roof, the gable and the churchyard rather than the interior.
How long do you need at Hofskirkja?
Fifteen to twenty minutes is enough to walk around the church and the churchyard. It fits easily into a drive between Skaftafell and Jökulsárlón.
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