ICELANDIC TRADITIONS
Icelandic National Day is an annual holiday in Iceland. 17 June 1944 was the date Iceland became independent from Danish rule. Today, Icelanders celebrate this holiday on a national scale. The celebration traditionally takes the form of a parade. Iceland was the last country in Europe to be settled. Isolation and the extreme nature have shaped Icelandic culture through the years.
VOLCANOES
Iceland is one of the most volcanic places on earth having 150-200 volcanoes on Iceland. 22 out of these volcanoes are active and 13 have erupted since the vikings settled here in 874. You could easily say that read more….
GAME OF THRONES
If you are a Game of Thrones fan, what better way to really get into the spirit of proceedings than by visiting one of the exotic Game of Thrones destinations where filming for the program actually took place? Read more…
Have you heard of Eyjafjallajokull?
The towering glacier-capped strata volcano Eyjafjallajokull is probably the most famous volcano in the world today.
IT’S WORTH A VISIT!
MEET THE REYKJAVIK
The capital of Iceland
Reykjavik is the northernmost capital in the world. Reykjavik has exciting possibilities, surrounded by incredible landscapes. Various museums preserve the culture and history of both the city and the country at large. Visit Reykjavik, a metropolitan area with its 200,000 inhabitants.
Why Iceland is one of the best places to live? Why do Icelanders live so long and why they are so happy?
All these questions and more will be answered here
Cuisine
Due to the isolated location of Iceland, important ingredients of traditional Icelandic cuisine are lamb dairy and fish. Here are couple of examples:
Hangikjöt is smoked Icelandic lambs. It is reputed to be especially good because of how the sheep are farmed, which is quite old fashioned: they are free to roam around the wilderness of the unspoiled and rather barren highlands all summer long without any supervision at all. The sheep graze not only on grass, but also on plants and herbs which contributes to their rich and complex flavour. In this way, the meat has been marinated the entire life of the animal.
Skyr, is technically a type of soft cheese, made from gelatinous milk curds. As appetizing as that sounds, mixed with milk and served with sugar or Icelandic blueberries, it’s actually quite wonderful, with a rich, yoghurt-like texture and slightly sour taste. The real magic, however, is in its nutritional value. This superfood is incredibly high in protein and unbelievably low in everything else, a typical batch sporting something like 12% protein, 3% carbohydrate and 0,5% fat, and also rich in calcium and various vitamins.
No surnames, no worries
In general there are no surnames in Iceland except for few danish family names. Some of them have lasted for decades but these family names are not that common and mostly originate from foreigners marrying into an Icelandic family. For the majority of Icelanders people have a last name that is comprised from their father’s (or mother’s) first name with the addition of -dóttir (-daughter) or -son. For example if my fathers first name is Gunnar, so my last name is Gunnarsdóttir (Gunnar’s daughter). This means that a member of a family will have a different last name to both of their parents and their siblings of a different gender. Women also do not change their name when they get married. With such a potpourri of surnames, it is little wonder that the Icelandic phone book is sorted by first names. If the population were 300 million rather than 300,000, I suspect the system may not work as well.
CELEBRITIES
Erik the Red
Erik Thorvaldsson known as Erik the Red was a Norwegian Viking, remembered in medieval and...
Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir
Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir born 4 October 1942 is an Iceland politician and the former Prime...
Björk Guðmundsdóttir
Björk Guðmundsdóttir born 21 November 1965, known as Björk is an Icelandic singer, songwriter,...
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir born 15 April 1930 served as the fourth President of Iceland from 1 August...
Of Monsters and men
Monsters and Men is a five-member band from Reykjavík, formed in 2010. The members are lead...
Hafþór Björnsson
Strength athletics events has always been held in Iceland during the history. The sport's roots...
INVENTIONS
TOURS
Iceland volcano tour (2d)
Summary:
Iceland, the second largest island in Europe after Great Britain, is located in the north Atlantic Ocean. The country has a unique landscape due to its active volcanoes, glaciers and fields of sand. On this tour we will give you a closer look for the magical volcanoes.
Day 1 Visit Thingvellir
Start the first day with a daytrip to Thingvellir. Thingvellir National Park is located approximately 45 km northeast of Reykjavík. Thingvellir is one of Iceland’s most famous and fascinating places. [...]
Address:
Katla, Island, Iceland
Phone:
08-562 65 000
Iceland nature tour (3d)
Summary:
Iceland is a fascinating volcanic island where you can really feel the power of the nature. Dramatic landscapes, geizers, water source warmed by the heat of the volcanoes, dark blue sea peopled with the one of the biggest mammal on earth. Get ready for 3 days in a little unusual capital and it’s surroundings.
Day 1 – You arrive in Reyjkjavik, check in at the hotel ( possibility to choose between a 3 or 4 * hotel) and discover the [...]
Address:
Reykjavik, Island, Iceland
Phone:
08-562 65 000