Víkurkirkja (Vík Church)
About Víkurkirkja (Vík Church)
Vík church sits on a grassy hill above Iceland's southernmost village, and from its door you look down over the rooftops to the Reynisdrangar sea stacks. In Icelandic it is Víkurkirkja, and its white walls and red roof make it the landmark most people photograph on the drive through Vík.
The church was consecrated in 1934 and designed by Guðjón Samúelsson, the state architect who later drew Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavík. It is a small concrete building with seats for about 160 people. Inside, the altarpiece is a copy of Carl Bloch's Gethsemane, and the front windows have stained glass by Hrafnhildur Ágústsdóttir.
The hilltop site has a practical side too. Vík lies below Mýrdalsjökull and the Katla volcano, and the church is thought to be the only building in the village high enough to escape a major flood from an eruption under the ice. That makes the church on the hill the place residents are told to head for if Katla erupts.
You'll find Vík on Route 1, about 180 kilometers or roughly two and a half hours' drive southeast of Reykjavík. A short road climbs from the village to the church, and you can pull in beside it. It is an active parish church, so don't count on the doors being open.
Early summer is the classic time to come, when purple lupines cover the slope below the church in June and early July. In winter, snow on the hill and low sun over the sea give a very different picture. Fifteen to twenty minutes is plenty for the view, so it fits easily into a stop for lunch in Vík or a visit to Reynisfjara just west of town.
Good to know
Where is the church in Vík, Iceland?
Víkurkirkja stands on a hill on the north side of Vík í Mýrdal, above the village and Route 1. From the church you look south over the town to the sea and the Reynisdrangar stacks.
Who designed Vík church?
Guðjón Samúelsson, Iceland's state architect, designed it. The church was consecrated in 1934, a few years before he designed Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavík.
Can you go inside Vík church?
It is a working Lutheran parish church, and visitor opening hours are not published. Plan the stop around the outside and the view, and treat a look inside as a bonus.
When do the lupines bloom at Vík church?
The purple lupines on the slope below the church usually flower in June and into early July. That is when most of the well-known photos of the church are taken.
Why is Vík church built on a hill?
The high ground keeps it above the flood zone of the Katla volcano under Mýrdalsjökull. It is thought to be the only building in Vík that would survive a major eruption flood, so it is the village's refuge point.
How far is Vík church from Reykjavík?
Vík is about 180 kilometers southeast of Reykjavík on Route 1, roughly two and a half hours' drive. The church is a few minutes' drive up from the main road.
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