Natural History Museum of Bolungarvík

Syðridalur in Bolungarvík is known for an old lignite mine which is situated in the valley. Lignite was mined from the mine in the years of 1917 until 1921 or while and after the first World War. The reason why the mining was shut down is because coal from Europe became more accessible after the war. Lignite in Iceland is worse than coal due to the fact that volcanic ash is one of the main contents. Lignite in Iceland only includes 60% carbon but European coal includes 70-80% carbon. The mine in Syðridalur actually consist of two mines, one on either side of the river. Gilsnáma is the one that's more known but Hanhólsnáma is the lesser known mine. Gilsnáma is more than 100 meters long but the other is around 10 meters. Inside Gilsnáma you can see some of the equipment that was used to mine, including a few hammers and a scale. To get into Gilsnáma you almost have to crawl, but once you're in the ceiling gets higher and you can stand upright. The walk up to the mine takes around 20-25 minutes on a marked trail and it's well worth the stop.

Reiðhjalli is situated in Syðridalur in Bolungarvík. from the end of the road in the bottom of the valley there is a slightly worse road that climbs up the hill from the Hydro-powerplant. If the road is hiked it leads you to the Reiðhjalli reservoir. The view from the area is stunning. As an addition to the hike you can take a sneak peak off the cliffs down to Súgandafjörður or even hike down Hnífsdalur valley.

Skarfasker is a viewing point on the way to Óshlíð. It's nice to stop the car at Skarfasker and take a look at the viewing point and sit down for coffee. After a quick coffee stop it's perfect to walk onwards to Óshlíð.

The most popular visiting point in Bolungarvík is the top of Bolafjall Mountain. The place offers a staggering view over Ísafjarðardjúp, Jökulfirðir and some people say all the way to Greenland. To get to Bolafjall mountain you have to drive up the road from Bolungarvík the way to the radar station on the top. The station was built by the Americans but is now controlled by the Icelandic coast guard. The route is open from the middle of june until august september. After a visit to Bolafjall, or even before, We recommend a coffee break and a nice walk at the black sand beach in Skálavík.

The road up to the mountain is open when situations in the mountain allow it to be. Usually that is from middle of june until the middle of september.

Arnarnes offers fantastic views over Ísafjörður and surroundings. Arnarnes is also a amazing place to capture amazing photos of the midnight sun during the summer months. During the Winter months the area is also nice to capture the phenomena of the Northern lights.

Skálavík is the next creek westwards from Bolungarvík. People lived in Skálavík until around 1960's and since then the creek has been uninhabited. People from the area and people who have relations to Skálavík have restored some of the houses and new summerhouses have been built. In a good summer day the people from the area like to build sandcastles on the beach, take a walk and even swim in the river. Skálavík is a paradise for kids and a perfect place to stop the car and play around. On the way from Skálavík, we recommend driving all the way up to the top of the moutain and take a look at the view from the top.

In the year 1975 was put up a memorial stone for Þuríður Sundayllir, the first known settler of Boungarvík. The stone, which is called Þuríðarsteinn or the stone of Þuríður is situated in Vatnsnes where people think Þuríður's settlement was in the beginning.

The museum consists of a replica of a 19th century double fishing booth, salt-shed, fish drying platform and a fish drying shed. It also has on display the fishing boat Ölver that represents the type of boats that were used for fishing at earlier times. The museum gives a realistic picture of the accommodation offered to fishermen of the 19th century, during the harsh winter fishing seasons. Dressed in the traditional protective clothing, made of skin, the curator guides visitors around the museum, offering a unique glimpse of a long gone past. The museum is located beside the road into Bolungarvík on the east side of the bay.

For more information on the museum click here.