The pleasure of discover unusual turf houses in Iceland
On my second trip to Iceland, I rented a mini camper and drove the outer circle of the island. Now I had the pleasure of discovering the oldest turf church and some turf houses. They are so interesting. I also found many other similarities to older Norwegian architecture.
The hearts show places I visited.
Turf houses
The first settlers in Iceland came from Norway, and they brought their building traditions with them. Constructions of wood and buried pillars and then protected by stones and turf. An excellent example of this is Grafarkirkja, the oldest turf church in Iceland from the 17th century. Another superb example is the Laufás turf house museum.
The front Laufás house
The back
The Norwegians built many wooden stave churches all over Iceland from 1000 onwards. Unfortunately, they were mostly demolished in the 19th century. A copy of how they might have looked is now seen in Stafkirkjan.
Skógar Museum
More modern architecture
When you walk in Reykjavik, the houses look like typical Norwegian wooden houses from the 20th century. Houses with all kinds of colors and shapes. However, when you look closely, you can see that these houses are covered with corrugated iron sheets (bølgeblikk).
This is pure speculation, but I guess the corrugated iron sheets are a longer-lasting material in this harsh weather; moreover, they do not have so much forest to pick wood.
Búðakirkja
Churches are something that fascinates me. On my trip, I had to stop at some of these. The first one is Búðakirkja, The black Church from the middle of the 18th century. This small black Church in the middle of a large plain almost looks abandoned. Mountain in the background, and the sea on the other side, make it very picturesque. People make pilgrimages from all over the world to marry here.
Ingjaldshólskirkja
The present Church at Ingjaldshóll is not the first Church standing here, but this one is from 1903 and is the first Church in Iceland built in concrete. You can see the Church from a far distance standing on a small top with a great view.
Seyðisfjörður
On the west side of Iceland, you find the colorful little village of Seyðisfjörður. To walk around in this charming place is a joy for your eyes. There are many colorful houses and graffiti, not to forget the rainbow path leading to the small pastel Church. You can find some excellent souvenir shops with homemade art effects and restaurants here.
Hjarðarholtskirkja
I have to show you this small charming Church Hjarðarholtskirkja. It was designed by whom they call the first Icelandic architect, Rögnvaldur Ólafsson, built in 1904. It seems like a small wooden church from a distance, but it is painted corrugated iron when you come up close.
Hallgrímskirkja
After a full circle, I am back in Reykjavik and have the pleasure of revisiting Hallgrímskirkja. A church that has become the symbol of Reykjavik, and maybe the whole of Iceland? The Church is standing on the highest top overlooking the capital. The bell tower also houses the antenna for broadcasting in Iceland. The construction started in 1945 and was completed in 1986.
