Hvalfjörður
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Ten Years of Fear
Looking back at the relentless spread of biting midges It’s early summer 2015 in Hvalfjörður, a deep fjord 30 minutes’ drive from Reykjavík. In summer houses good people grill their pre-seasoned lamb cutlets in the approved manner, not suspecting that they will…
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When The Road Calls Again
Chasing spring through the winding roads of Hvalfjörður Oh, that first sunny day after weeks of grey skies and gloom. The one where the sky turns a crisp, cloudless blue, the sun finally breaks through, and the whole world feels just a…
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Best Of Reykjavík 2025: Best Place To See The Northern Lights
There’s a lot to do and see in Reykjavík — how do you pick which pool to hit up from the dozens of options just in the capital area? Which mountain gets your hiking boots? And let’s be real — where do…
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Bombs And Guns And Stuff
The recent resumption of fin whale hunting has drawn attention onto Hvalfjörður, the fjord near Reykjavík where the whaling station is located. The fjord is not, however, only known for this industry, but also for its role in Iceland’s involvement in World…
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Woman Died After Falling Into Gorge of Glymur Waterfall
A woman died Wednesday after falling roughly 200 metres into the gorge of Glymur waterfall, visir.is reports. The woman died instantly, according to search and rescue members deployed to the scene. She and her partner, both tourists in their 20s, were hiking…
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RVK Newscast 160: A Mysterious Explosion
Welcome to RVK Newscast from The Reykjavík Grapevine. Editor-in-chief, Valur Grettisson (and his Chief Morale Officer, Pollý) are in Hvalfjörður to discuss a strange explosion that was recorded in the area, as well as the latest on Covid passes and Icelandic sports…
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Toxins Found From Hvalfjörður’s Mussels
The Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (MAST) has issued a warning against mussel consumption, reports Vísir. MAST’s warning applies to the mussels picked from Hvalfjörður. [su_pullquote]Hello dear readers: If you love our YouTube content, you’ll be pleased to know that you can…
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Best Of Reykjavík 2019: Best Day Trip
So, you’ve shopped in the shops, drank the drinks, and eaten all the foods. And whilst those things are all super fun, culture and the outdoors are the missing pieces of the puzzle for a perfect trip. Whether it’s a gleaming museum…
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Museums in Strange Places #20: A Visit to the War and Peace Museum
Hey there. I’m Hannah. I’m an American museum professional and Fulbright Fellow living in Reykjavík, and I’m the host of a podcast dedicated to exploring Iceland’s museums. Why? Because Iceland has a staggering 165 museums (that’s way more museums per person than…
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Best Of West Iceland 2018: Best Road Trip
The west of Iceland begins just outside Greater Reykjavík’s northern city limits. From undulating fjords and stretches of idyllic farmland to the rolling fields of Borgarfjörður, to the geothermally active Snæfellsnes peninsula, the Langjökull glacier, and the sprawling Kalmanstunga lava field, it’s…
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Words Of Interest: Whale Tales
“Hvalreki” is the Icelandic word for a beached whale. It comes from the words “hvalur”, for whale, and “reki”, meaning something washed up on shore. In the olden days, it also referred to an unexpected surprise, though it seems rather outdated, given…
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Outside Reykjavík: A Whaling Station and a WWII Base
Road Trip: Hvalfjörður A question we often get is: “I’ve a hire car, and a free day—where should I go?” Obvious answers are Snæfellsnes and the south coast. But a less-travelled road is Hvalfjörður. This picturesque fjörd is near Reykjavík, and packed…
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The Forgotten Fjord: Off The Beaten Track In Hvalfjörður
25km north of Reykjavík lies the secluded, undulating fjord of Hvalfjörður: the “Whale Fjord”. This 40km coastal route was once a part of Iceland’s circular Route One, connecting Reykjavík to the north and, eventually, the rest of the country. But in 1998,…
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On High Alert: A Night Of Aurora Chasing
After seeing a recent high-alert aurora forecast, myself and a few other Grapeviners decided to jump in the car and get out of the city for the promised spectacle. Our photographer became a special Northern Lights tour operator for the night, deciding…
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Grapevine’s Best Of 2016: Best Day Trip From Reykjavík
Reykjavík is a relatively small city, but even so, sometimes you need a bit of local advice to find what you’re looking for, whether it’s a good people-watching spot, somewhere to see some contemporary art, or the best place to catch an…
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Fjord Serenity Now! A Kayaking Day In Hvalfjörður
Kayaking has always been a favorite sport of mine because its effort-to-awesomeness ratio is incredibly low. Sure, pro kayakers can get up to all kinds of badassery, but if you’re a tourist interested in trying it for the first time or a…
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The Road To Glymur, The Highest Waterfall In Iceland
Glymur is the highest waterfall in Iceland, rising to an elevation of some 198 metres. To get there, it’s about a one hour drive from Reykjavík, followed by 40 minutes to an hour of walking from the parking lot to the waterfall…
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Still Waters And Colourful Jellyfish: Kayaking In Hvalfjörður
When I was asked if I would be up for some kayaking, the image that immediately sprang to mind was plunging down frothing, rocky rapids, doing barrel rolls through deadly currents as I swatted aside electric eels and manta rays before rocketing…
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Five Places You Should See / Trips You Should Take
Esja—That big mountain over there Close to the heart of every Reykjaviking—literally as well as metaphorically—is the mountain range Esja, located just north of Mosfellsbær, about a 20 km drive from the city centre. The most popular destination, the Þverfellshorn peak, can…
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King Of The Road – Super Jeep Excursion Traverses Rock And Ice
When you take the most bad-ass of vehicles and combine it with a little off-road driving, you, in turn, become the bad-ass you have always dreamt of being. Steven Seagal, step aside. My guide from Iceland Rovers picked me up at 8:30…