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L’Austral cruise ship sailed from Grimsey Island to Akureyri (pronounced ah-coo-rare-ee), docking at around 5:30p which gave passengers some time to walk into town. It was interesting that the National Geographic Explorer doing a complete circumnavigation of Iceland was also in port with us.
Akureyri (pop:17,000) is Iceland’s second largest city and center for winter sports, whale watching, and many tours to the Lake Myvatn area that we would visit tomorrow. Often called the capital of northern Iceland, Akureyri has been a major trading port for centuries. Most people work in fisheries, light industry and agricultural processing of products supplied by the surrounding farming districts.
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map of North Iceland
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shark statue at Akureyri dock, Iceland
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Akureyri, Iceland dock area
There is an excellent Tourist Information office on the way from port into town with much information and Akureyri has laid out four different walks for visitors:
– The purple Historical Path is 4.1 kilometers/2.5 miles and begins along the shore. It continues through the oldest part of town with places of historical interest, Botanical Gardens, through town center and ends at Town Hall Square;
– The green First Settlers and Town Architecture Path is 2.9 kilometers/1.2 miles long. It begins at Brekkugata, heads towards the statue of the first Viking settlers in the area, Helgi the Lean and Thorunn Hyrna, and ends at Town Hall Square.
The story of Helgi the Lean was of interest to me so armed with information from Tourist Information to look near the police station (a good mile uphill walk from the center of town), we began walking. Helgi the Lean and Thorunn Hyrna, arrived around 890. His parents handed him over for fostering into the Hebrides, and when they came there two winters later, he was so starved, they didn’t recognize him. Parents took him away and began calling him “Helgi the Lean.” He was then raised in Ireland, married Thorun the Horned, moved to Iceland with their children and settled in Eyjafjordur. End of the story! I particularly like the descriptive names, “Thorun the Horned”…”Helgi the Lean”…
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Helgi and Thor first settlers in Akureyri, Iceland
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Akureyri house – Iceland
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Tourist Information Office, Akureyri, Iceland
– The brown River and Gardens Path is 5.1 kilometers/3.1 miles and begins at the statue of Helgi the Lean. It then heads to the large mall, up to the water reservoir and Akureyri University area. Visitors need time for this walk which we didn’t have; and
– The pink Sea and Oddeyrin path is 1.9 kilometers/.6 miles and follows the sea through an older area. Our Tauck Tours exploration of Akureyri area ended with a drive through here.
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Akureyri town center, Iceland
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Akureyri, Iceland
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Akureyri, Iceland
Lively Akureyri has plenty of restaurants, cafes and activities for visitors in the center of town on Hafnarstraeti, the main shopping street. Akureyri Lutheran Church looms over town and is one of its most recognizable symbols. A cute and easily walkable small town, I was so disappointed that there was nothing to buy with 66 Degrees on it (Arctic Circle), even though we have been above the circle in Norway, Finland, Spitsbergen and Sweden! Come on, people. Get with the program.
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center of Akureyri, Iceland