Best Of North Iceland 2018: Best Museum/Gallery

A five-hour drive away from the capital area, the North’s spectacular sights and vast unspoiled nature will amaze the most seasoned of travellers. Drive towards its coastline where the sun never sets and enjoy everything the North has to offer—from its many canyons and hiking trails, to more urban environments. Whether you choose to visit the up-and-coming town of Siglufjörður or fine-dine in the countryside; whether you go for a week-long hike in Fjörður or decide to travel all the way to Húsavík for a whale watching tour; whether you’ll be driving across the otherworldly landscape of Askja or the mellow hills of Mývatn, you’re inevitably bound to take on an adventure you’ll never forget.

Best Museum or Gallery

The Herring Era Museum

Snorragata 10, Siglufjörður

“The name doesn’t do it justice,” said one panellist, “but it’s truly a wonderful place to discover the history of the local community.” Síldarminjasafnið is an unexpected gem in the museum scene of the North, with a collection that pays tribute to the boom years of the Herring Era with pictures, texts, and countless artefacts recollecting Siglufjörður’s glorious fishing past.

Runner-Up:

The Húsavík Whale Museum

Hafnarstétt 1, Húsavík

Located in an abandoned slaughterhouse in the middle of Húsavík, this Whale Museum takes matters one step further than its Reykjavík counterpart. “They have an actual blue whale skeleton—no plastic involved,” one panellist stressed. A crucial hub for a town that’s made whale watching a business in itself, the Museum also has courses to teach visitors about the oceans.

Newcomer:

Into The Arctic

Strandgata, Akureyri

The new kid in town, Into The Arctic, rests right at the Akureyri harbour, enjoying a spectacular view over Eyjafjörður. The museum hosts the collection of an Icelandic explorer Vilhjálmur Stefánsson, and a plethora of taxidermied animals, maps, diaries, and maritime paraphernalia that give a unique insight into life in the Arctic.

More Best Of Iceland Awards

South Iceland

West Iceland

The Westfjords

North Iceland

East Iceland

You can buy a copy of the full Best Of Iceland 2018 magazine—an essential guide to having fun in Iceland—here, posted worldwide. We also have a Special Offer double-pack that also includes our Best Of Reykjavík magazine, about places to eat, see, swim, visit, and shop in the country’s capital city, here.