Swimming Pools
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Icelandic Swimming Pool Culture Added To UNESCO List
In December 2025, it was confirmed that Icelandic swimming pool culture had been added to the UNESCO Intangible Heritage list. A total of 77 countries applied to have elements of their culture recognised by UNESCO, and just over 60 practices were approved.…
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Sourdough Breathalysers & Racist Racists
Protests in front of Parliament A protest took place in Austurvöllur in front of Iceland’s parliament this Saturday. “We are not racists,” said the organiser of the protest, Sigfús Aðalsteinsson. One of the speakers at the protest was musician Brynjar Barkarson, son-in-law…
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Reykjavík Swimming Pools Extend Weekend Opening Hours
As of June 1, Reykjavík’s public swimming pools are once again staying open until 22:00 on weekends, reversing the previous year’s earlier closing time of 21:00, reports RÚV. The reduced hours, introduced in April 2024, were initially implemented as a cost-saving measure.…
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Every Reykjavík Swimming Pool Rainbow Certified
Every single one of Reykjavík’s swimming pools have received the rainbow certification, as reported by a press release sent by city spokespersons. The colourful stamp of approval signifies Reykjavík’s commitment towards LGBTQ+ affairs. The certificate aims to make Reykjavík more inclusive towards…
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All Reykjavík Swimming Pools Closed Amid Power Station Malfunction
Due to a malfunction at Nesjavellir Geothermal Power Station, the flow of hot water to the capital area has been reduced. As a result, the City of Reykjavík has closed its eight swimming pools; it is currently unclear when they will reopen.…
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Pool Stories: Director Jón Karl Helgason Explores Icelandic Bathing Culture In A New Documentary
“The Finns have their saunas, the British have their pubs, the French have their cafes. We Icelanders have our swimming pools,” reads the description of ‘Sundlaugasögur’ (‘Swimming Pool Stories’). Above is a blue poster, an aerial shot of a person taking a…
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Tourists Do Not Shower Properly In Swimming Pools
Many tourists in Iceland try to avoid bathing before going to swimming pools, reports Fréttablaðið. The staff at the swimming pools say that the problem is a fear of being watched. [su_pullquote]Join our weekly newsletter to get our next quiz sent by…
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What Are Icelanders Talking About? National Parks, Swimming Pools, Vaccines
You can always tell when a particular issue in Iceland is really getting people talking when their Facebook profile photo frames start changing. One of the biggest topics being argued about right now is the proposed Highlands National Park. On the one…
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How Effective Is Swimming Pool Chlorine At Killing COVID-19?
RÚV has reported that “seven times more COVID-19 infections can be traced to gyms that swimming pools”, according to the infection control team. The use of chlorine as a disinfectant has been recommended by the European Epidemiological Surveillance Authority. But how effective…
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Young People Break Into Swimming Pool
A group of young people broke into a swimming pool in Reykjavík shortly before ten o’clock last night, Fréttablaðið revealed this morning. Their shouts could be heard from outside the pool and they were reported to the police. When the police arrived,…
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Reykjavík Swimming Pools To Stay Open
Operation at Reykjavík’s swimming pools will be adapted to comply with the new distancing and gathering regulations that will be implemented at noon today, Vísir reports. The same goes for Ylströndina in Nauthólsvík and the Family Park and Zoo, to name a…
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Hundreds Queue At Midnight To Celebrate Public Pools Re-opening
Public swimming pools in Reykjavik re-opened last night after almost two months of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hundreds of Reykjavik residents celebrated greatly anticipated openings with a midnight swim. Reykjavik’s Mayor, Dagur B. Eggertsson, explained that the pools opened at…
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Readers Letter: How Dare You Demand Me To Be Naked?
Dear Grapevine, I’ve just returned back to Kansas after a wonderful stay in Iceland, except from one shocking and offending incident. When visiting one of the local pools, I got hunted down in the showering area by a guard and lectured for…
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The 2nd “Iceland Is Weird But So Great” Video Is Here
The second installment of the travel video series is here, and this time, outdoor geothermal swimming is explored. Many guests to our fair shores find the conventions around bathing in Iceland to be confusing. Fret no more, as you’re taken on a…
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Swimming On The Edge of Nowhere: Pools In Strandir
Swimming pools and hot tubs are always major attractions in Iceland, both to Icelanders and foreign tourists, and they can be found in the most unlikely places all over the country. Strandir is an area on the east side of the Westfjords,…
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Is The Fear of Showering Naked Preventing Tourists From Enjoying The Best Iceland Has To Offer?
Visits to the great public pools of Reykjavík have not increased anywhere near as much as city officials would have expected given the tourism boom. Why? One explanation is a fear of showering in the nude. The director of Visit Reykjavík, Einar…
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Swimming Pools In Iceland: The Formula For Water
Iceland is “all about the water” my mum said when she came to visit. She was referring to the dual influence of the Gulf Stream, making Iceland unusually warm for its latitude, and the country’s ubiquitous hot springs. Without the hot springs,…
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Swimming In Iceland: The Iceland Aquaphiles
If you’ve seen the Icelandic Tourist Board’s new ‘Inspired by Iceland’ video campaign, you may be under the impression that Iceland is always sunny and Icelanders are super-hip-dancing-machines. While that’s debatable, the scene where the tanned couple goes skinny-dipping and makes out…