Seyðisfjörður Blue Church
About Seyðisfjörður Blue Church
At the end of a street painted in rainbow stripes stands a pale blue wooden church, framed by the steep walls of the fjord. This is the Seyðisfjörður Blue Church, Seyðisfjarðarkirkja, and together with its rainbow street it is the picture most travelers bring home from the Eastfjords.
The church has moved more than most. It first stood at the farm Dvergasteinn, was moved to Vestdalseyri in 1882 and was blown over by a storm in 1894, then rebuilt and later moved again to the center of town, where the current church was consecrated in 1922. A fire during renovation work in 1989 damaged the building and destroyed its organ, which has since been replaced with one of the same type.
The Seyðisfjörður rainbow street is Norðurgata, the short road that leads up to the church door. Residents and town staff painted it on a sunny summer evening in 2016, and locals have repainted it every summer since, with visitors welcome to pick up a brush. Many photos of the rainbow road in Iceland are taken right here, and the walk up to the church takes only a few minutes.
According to East Iceland's tourism office, the church is open to visitors in summer. It also hosts the Blue Church summer concert series, with evening concerts that start at 8:30 pm and run through part of July, so check the program at blaakirkjan.is if you are in town then.
Seyðisfjörður is about 27 kilometers from Egilsstaðir on Route 93, a drive of around 30 minutes over a mountain pass that can be snowy outside summer. The Norröna ferry from Denmark docks here too. Allow 20 to 30 minutes for the church and the street, longer if you stop at one of the cafés nearby.
Good to know
Where is the blue church in Iceland?
The Blue Church, Seyðisfjarðarkirkja, is in the center of Seyðisfjörður in East Iceland. It stands at the top of Norðurgata, the street painted in rainbow colors.
Where is the rainbow street in Iceland?
The best-known rainbow street is Norðurgata in Seyðisfjörður, which leads to the Blue Church. Locals first painted it in the summer of 2016 and repaint it each summer.
Can you go inside the Seyðisfjörður Blue Church?
The church is open to visitors in summer, according to East Iceland's tourism office. In July it also hosts an evening summer concert series.
How old is the Blue Church in Seyðisfjörður?
The current church was consecrated in 1922 after the building was moved to the center of town. Its story goes back further, to earlier sites at Dvergasteinn and Vestdalseyri.
How do you get to Seyðisfjörður from Egilsstaðir?
Drive Route 93 for about 27 kilometers over the mountain pass, which takes around 30 minutes in good conditions. Check road.is in winter, when the pass can be snowy.
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