FEB
winter Winter Lights Festival The Winter Lights Festival is an annual celebration of light and culture, with a special emphasis on illuminating those long days of darkness with a collection of sparkling and visually stunning events. The entire city radiates with life, light and energy during this spectacular festival, which each year features a number of sensational new light-art installations.
Be amazed by the dramatic interplay of darkness and light at the next Winter Lights Festival!
www.vetrarhatid.is #reykjavikloves
Top 5 events in Reykjavík during the festive season 1. Join "The hunt for the Christmas creatures". The game, which is set up as a treasure hunt, invites participants to hunt for the Christmas creatures and answer a few simple creature-related questions.
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2. Visit the Christmas markets in Reykjavík’s city center, Hafnarfjörður, and Heiðmörk recreational area. 3. Celebrate the start of Christmas and take part in a time-honored Reykjavík tradition – the lighting of the Oslo Christmas tree at Austurvöllur Square. 4. St. Þorlákur’s Day, on December 23rd, is named after Iceland’s patron saint. It is perhaps better known for being the busiest shopping day of the year with opening hours until 23:00 and true Christmas spirit amongst the locals in the streets. You should also take part in the Icelandic tradition of eating putrid skate and potatoes on this day. This lyepreserved fish smells strong while cooking, but it tastes delicious to many Icelanders! There is never a dull moment in Reykjavík during winter. Two years in a row, CNN named Reykjavík one of the top five winter destinations in the world. During winter, Reykjavík transforms into a real winter wonderland full of festivity all season long. Apart from the occasional snowfall and regular displays of northern lights, there’s also a full calendar of cultural events with festivals, concerts, plays and a great selection of seasonal tours and activities.
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The Christmas season in Reykjavík is a true celebration of light. The city’s buildings and streets are decorated with countless fairy lights, ornaments and adorable Christmas displays. Reykjavík will feature holiday cuisine, horseback riding, sailing, singing, shopping, entertainment, education, and all sorts of other cultural experiences to enhance the city’s Christmas atmosphere.
5. See the most magnificent fireworks on New Year’s Eve. Many consider the Icelandic New Year’s Eve the most breathtaking New Year’s celebration in the world. The locals gather around several bonfires dispersed all over the city, celebrating and singing.
For more information: www.visitreykjavik.is
Top 5 cultural experiences in Reykjavík during winter 1. Discover the arty side of Reykjavík at Reykjavík Art Museum, the largest visual art institution in Iceland. Reykjavík locals take great pride in it. 2. Shop from a local designer. You’ll easily whittle lots of time away when admiring all the design shops and studios scattered throughout the city center.
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3. Visit Harpa, the city’s concert hall that’s decorated with more than 1,000 glass blocks. A part of Harpa was designed by the Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson and adds a true cultural dimension to Reykjavík.
Reykjavík is the perfect winter destination for those with an interest in the world of arts and culture, and it is home to the majority of our most prestigious cultural institutions and talented performers and artists.
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• Museums and galleries • Visual and performing arts • Music • Dining • Design and shopping
4. Go swimming in the thermal pools. It’s essential to go swimming in a public pool and enjoy a soak in an outdoor hot tub even if it’s -5°C outside. Since the harnessing of geothermal energy in Iceland, the tradition of public bathing has become deeply rooted in the local culture. Reykjavík has seventeen public swimming pools, most of which are outdoors. Many are also equipped with saunas and steam baths. 5. Dine at a local restaurant and allow Icelandic chefs to wow your senses with the purest ingredients. Our restaurants have a reputation for plating up the best of sea and land, and always with an unexpected twist. In Reykjavík, dining options range from the iconic to the experimental and with so many restaurants to choose from, your palate will never be bored.
For more information: www.visitreykjavik.is
Top 5 activities not to miss in Reykjavík during winter 1. Be mesmerized by the northern lights. The dark Icelandic winter has a few perks. Between September and April, Reykjavík is treated to a magnificent natural display. On clear winter nights, many sightseeing trips are organized around this spectacular natural phenomenon.
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2. Search for the hidden folk in Hafnarfjörður. This area is believed to lie at the crossroads of several mystical energy lines. It’s also Iceland’s capital of elves and so-called hidden people. Hidden folk tours are offered daily. 3. Go whale and puffin watching. Get up close and personal with the whales on a whale watching tour from the Reykjavík harbor. The most commonly sighted ones are mink whales, humpbacks, porpoises and dolphins.
Reykjavík is the perfect winter destination for the active types. Join Icelanders in their love of the outdoors and all kinds of activities and celebrate the fun of every season with locals. Besides a remarkable number of tour operators offering unforgettable adventures, you can also participate in activities with the locals.
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Get active with the locals • Join one of the local running groups for a good workout. • Enjoy the best scenery Reykjavík has to offer at a high speed with a local bicycling club. • The Reykjavík hiking clubs are open for travelers to join in and enjoy the city’s stunning nature through the eyes of our locals. • Explore the culinary delights of the Viking diet when Icelanders celebrate the "Þorri" season from January 23rd until February 22nd. Everyone should experience old traditional Icelandic “Þorri” food, with all the surrounding festivities like dancing and music.
4. Walk on a glacier. From Reykjavík you can book day tours to one of Iceland’s spectacular glaciers. Enjoy an amazing first-hand experience of some of Iceland’s untamed nature, led by trained professionals. 5. Fly over a volcano in a helicopter. For the adventurous types, various spectacular helicopter flights over Iceland’s famous volcanic areas are on offer and some depart directly from the city center.
For more information: www.visitreykjavik.is
Winter events in Reykjavík September: RIFF – Reykjavík International Film Festival
November: Iceland Airwaves The Young Art Festival
October: IMAGINE PEACE TOWER Yoko Ono relights the Peace Tower Moorland – Childrens’ Book Festival Icelandic Meat Soup Day
December: A month-long season of festivities in Reykjavík January: The New Year Run Dark Music Days Rainbow Reykjavík – LGBT Winter Festival
For more information: www.visitreykjavik.is For Information on Reykjavik Port Authority: www.faxafloahafnir.is
February: Winter Lights Festival Electric Run Sonar Music Festival Food & Fun March: Reykjavík Folk Music Festival Design March Eve Fanfest Reykjavík Blues Festival Reykjavík Fashion Festival The Icelandic Music Experiments
April: Reykjavík Short & Docs Reykjavík Blues Festival Art Without Borders First Day of Summer Children’s Culture Festival
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Designed by Íslenska 09/14 Photos by Raggi Th. Sigurðsson
International airlines flying to Reykjavík