Iceland attractions

Hallgrimskirkja

Hallgrímskirkja is the Lutheran parish church in central Reykjavík and the largest church in Iceland. At 74.5 m it is also the country's second-tallest building. It is named after Hallgrímur Pétursson, the Icelandic poet and clergyman. The architect Guðjón Samúelsson was commissioned to design it in 1937, and it took 41 years to build, from 1945 until its consecration on 26 October 1986. The building was designed to recall Iceland's landscape, especially columnar basalt formations such as those at Svartifoss. Inside, the main feature is the concert organ built by Johannes Klais of Bonn and installed in 1992: it has 5,275 pipes, stands 15 m tall and weighs 25 tonnes. There is also a smaller Frobenius choir organ. In front of the church stands a statue of the explorer Leif Erikson, a gift from the United States in 1930 to mark the 1,000th anniversary of the Alþingi. The observation deck in the tower gives a view over the whole city. Tower tickets are sold in the church shop, to the left of the lobby, and cannot be booked in advance. Adults pay 1,500 ISK, students and disabled visitors 1,300 ISK and children aged 7–16 200 ISK, and a ticket is valid once on the day of purchase. Entry to the church itself is free. From 1 September to 31 May the church is open daily from 10:00 to 17:00, with last tower entry at 16:45; from 1 June to 31 August it is open from 09:00 to 20:00, with last tower entry at 19:45. Access is restricted during services, ceremonies and concerts, including Sunday mornings from about 10:30 to 12:30, so check before you go.

Búðakirkja

Búðakirkja, often called the Black Church, is a small black-painted timber church at Búðir on the south coast of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in West Iceland. It stands alone at the edge of the Búðahraun lava field, with Snæfellsjökull glacier in the distance, and the contrast of the dark church against moss, lava and sky has made it one of the most photographed buildings on the peninsula. A parish was established at Búðir in 1703, and the present church dates from 1848. It was built at the urging of Steinunn Sveinsdóttir, a local merchant's widow, who pressed for a new church despite opposition from church authorities. The building was restored to its present form in 1987 by local people together with experts from the National Museum of Iceland. A few items from the earlier church are kept, including the old inlaid lock on the gate. Búðakirkja is still a working church with a cemetery, and today it is also used for weddings, music events and other ceremonies, which can be booked through the church. The interior is not generally open to casual visitors, but there is no charge to see the outside and walk around the churchyard, and the grounds can be visited at any time. Please treat the cemetery with respect and keep off the graves. Búðir lies a short detour from the main road along the southern side of Snæfellsnes. Many day tours around the peninsula stop here, often combined with Ytri Tunga beach, Arnarstapi and Hellnar. Sunset and the long summer evenings give the best light for photographs, and the visit itself needs only a short stop.

Cathedral of Christ the King

The Cathedral of Christ the King, known in Icelandic as Landakotskirkja, is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church in Iceland and the only Catholic cathedral in the country. It stands on Landakot hill at Túngata in the west of downtown Reykjavík, a short uphill walk from the Tjörnin pond, City Hall and the Alþingi parliament building. The church was designed by Guðjón Samúelsson, the state architect who also designed Hallgrímskirkja and Akureyrarkirkja, and was completed and consecrated on 23 July 1929. It is built of concrete in a neo-Gothic style, which makes it unusual among Icelandic churches, and its square tower has a flat top rather than a spire. Because it sits on a rise, the tower is visible from much of the old town. Inside, the nave is simple and light, with pointed arches, stained glass and an organ. All three altars were brought from the older Catholic church at Landakot, which was dedicated in 1897. The cathedral serves a congregation that has grown considerably in recent decades, largely through immigration, and Mass is celebrated in Icelandic, English and Polish. Visiting is free. The church is usually open during the day outside service times, but opening hours are not published for tourists, and visitors should be quiet and respectful when a service is on. Check the parish Mass schedule if you want to attend a service. A visit takes 15 to 20 minutes and fits easily into a walk around the old west side, together with the pond, the parliament and the Settlement Exhibition.

Dómkirkjan í Reykjavík

Dómkirkjan, Reykjavík Cathedral, is the Lutheran cathedral of Iceland's capital and one of the oldest buildings in the city centre. It stands on the south side of Austurvöllur square, next to Alþingishúsið, the Parliament House, and also serves as the parliamentary church. The church was built between 1787 and 1796 to a neoclassical design by the Danish architect Andreas Kirkerup, and was the first building completed after the decision that Reykjavík should become Iceland's capital. It was enlarged in 1847–1848 to plans by the architect Winstrup, which gave it the shape it has today, and it was thoroughly renovated in 1999–2000. It is protected as a national monument. Inside, the church is plain and bright, with wooden galleries and pews. Look for the baptismal font carved by the Danish-Icelandic sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen and the altarpiece painted in 1847 by the Danish painter Wegener. The building is small, so a visit takes 15 to 20 minutes, and it fits easily into a walk around Austurvöllur, City Hall and Tjörnin pond. The cathedral is open to visitors on weekdays from 10:00 to 14:00, and entry is free. It closes to sightseers during funerals, weddings and other events, so check the parish website on the day if the visit matters to you. Mass is held every Sunday at 11:00 all year, there is a short prayer service on Tuesdays at 12:00, and on Tuesday evenings a half-hour Bach concert starts at 20:00. Visitors are welcome at all of them, but please stay seated and avoid photography while a service is under way.

Lutheran Free Church

Fríkirkjan í Reykjavík, the Free Church, is a white timber church with a green roof and a tall spire on Fríkirkjuvegur, on the eastern bank of Tjörnin, the pond in central Reykjavík. The National Gallery of Iceland is its neighbour on the same street, and Austurvöllur square and City Hall are a few minutes' walk away. Its reflection in the water, with the old houses along the shore behind it, is one of the classic views of the city centre. The congregation was founded in the autumn of 1899 by Icelanders who wanted a Lutheran church independent of the state. The split was not about doctrine but about church organisation, and it followed the example of free churches in Norway and among Icelandic emigrants in North America. The church was consecrated on 22 February 1903 and extended a couple of years later by the architect Rögnvaldur Ólafsson. It remains an evangelical Lutheran congregation, and it describes itself as built on democracy, equality, human rights and tolerance. The interior is simple and wooden, with an organ, and the acoustics have made it a popular concert venue. International artists have played here during the Iceland Airwaves festival, and the church has held lunchtime concerts on Thursdays at noon with classical, jazz and sacred music. Sunday services are usually held at 14:00, with music from the church choir and band. There are no published daytime visiting hours, so the easiest way to see the inside is to attend a service or a concert, or to check the church's own listings before you go. Entry to services is free; concerts may be ticketed. The outside can be seen at any time from the paths around Tjörnin, which also lead to City Hall and the Dómkirkjan cathedral. Street parking nearby is paid during the day, and most central hotels are within walking distance.