Seyðisfjörður

Seyðisfjörður is regarded as one of Iceland‘s most picturesque towns, due to its impressive natural environment, and because of its renowned collection of well-preserved old wooden buildings. The community owes its origins to foreign merchants, mainly Danes, who started trading in the fjord in the mid-19th century. The establishment of Icelandic herring fisheries by Norwegians (1870-1900) was crucial to the village’s evolution. The Norwegians established herring fishing facilities, and the small community
quickly grew into a bustling town.

The local economy has long been based on the fisheries, but today tourism plays a growing role. Our town may look like a fairy tale, yet it‘s a real place with real people. Please help us keep tourism sustainable by conserving nature and respecting local culture.

Landslide in 2020
In mid-afternoon December 18, the largest landslide ever to hit a town in Iceland happened in Seyðisfjörður. The landslide was triggered by days of heavy rain and destroyed a total of 13 buildings. Miraculously, there were no casualties from this natural disaster and the town is recovering very well.

Public Art in Seyðisfjörður

Tvísöngur Sound Sculpture is located on a mountainside above town and can be reached by walking up a gravel path for 15-20 minutes. Don‘t be shy to sing a song inside the sculpture. Each dome has its own resonance that corresponds to a tone in the Icelandic
musical tradition of five-tone harmony.

Close by there is a phone booth, a sculpture made by the artist Guðjón Ketilsson, in memory of the first telegraph connection toIceland from the outside world through Seyðisfjörður established in 1906.