Tjörnin
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Following Birds, Finding People: Discovering Iceland Through Birding
The first time I moved to Iceland, I arrived at night. Hitchhiking from the airport, I couldn’t see the land itself, only its outlines. Street lights, windows, and construction cranes described the topography in glowing fragments, but the colours of vegetation and the feel of the place…
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Best Of Reykjavík 2026: Best Of Birding
A one-man panel on best locations for the best hobby Every year, The Reykjavík Grapevine defines the city by featuring its favourite bars, bakeries and boutiques. This year, I suggested we try something slightly different: what if we also crowned the best…
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Don’t Feed The Ducks — Seriously, Don’t Do It
It’s happening! The ducks that make their homes on and around Reykjavík’s central pond, Tjörnin, are welcoming their babies. While it’s undeniably adorable to watch the little ducklings swimming behind their mamas at this time of year, it’s not cute to watch…
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The Rocks of Tjörnin Called Tjörnin Rocks
Waves crash against mossy stones. Plants sprout from every corner of this lush natural landscape. The squawk of seagulls intermingles with the sounds of morning traffic. A man on a scooter shouts an expletive at a closely-passing car as he rolls along…
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Tjörnin Pond In Danger Due To Nearby Construction
The pond of Tjörnin in downtown Reykjavík, an iconic city landmark, is in danger due to a severely decreased flow of water into it, brought about by construction projects south of the location, RÚV reports. Biologist Finnur Ingimarsson told reporters that if…
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Art For Free: Get Outside And Save That Cash
Culturally immersing yourself in Iceland can be an expensive undertaking. But it doesn’t have to be. You can discover artistic masterpieces and cultural curios free of charge while wandering the streets of Reykjavík. So if you’re an art-enthusiast on a budget, let…
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Best Of Reykjavík 2019: Best Place To Take The Kids
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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Smite The Winter: Icelanders Play Football On Frozen Lake In -8°C
Reykjavík’s Tjörnin pond freezes over completely in winter. The ice is thick enough to walk over, and it becomes a popular spot to feed the ducks and take a weekend stroll. It’s also a good surface for a game of football. Taken…
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The Tjörnin Pond Mermaid Hides Underwater
The mermaid statue “Hafmeyjan” by Nína Sæmundsson left her foundation in the pond Tjörnin at the beginning of November and now lies at the pond’s bottom. As of now, it remains unknown what she’s doing there, but experts claim she swam to…
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A Pedestrian’s Guide To Reykjavík
There’s no better way to discover a new city than by foot. Once you get out of the car or bus, everything slows down, but more than that, it gives you more time to think. “I suspect that the mind, like the…
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Scenes From The Heat Wave
In case you’ve missed it, Iceland is currently going through a heat wave. On this scorcher of a June day, when temperatures in the capital reached 14°C, the Grapevine set out to discover what Reykvíkingur were doing to beat the heat. Austurvöllur, by the…
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The Penny-pincher’s Guide To Spending A Day In Reykjavík
So you want to see a bit of Iceland but also be able to afford your ticket back home? No, that’s not the most dramatic request we’ve ever heard. We’ll make it happen. Einar Jónsson’s Sculpture Garden What better way to start…
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Humming Like A Wasp: We Tuk Tuk Off In 101 Reykjavík
Earlier this summer, during an otherwise ordinary Sunday evening, blues musician Halldór Bragason was surprised to find a tour bus poised to drive through his living room. Springing to action, he grabbed his phone and recorded how it narrowly missed his windows,…
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Half Tjörnin’s Duck Species Dying Off
Three of the six duck species at the pond Tjörnin in Reykjavík are dying off, and will disappear if nothing is done. Vísir reports that Ólafur Karl Nielsen, an ornithologist for The Icelandic Institute of Natural History (IINH), has recently concluded a…
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A Safe Place…For Topless Table-Top Dancing
Picture the scene: It’s 2AM. You’ve tried your best fitting in with the ultra-modern hipsters at Paloma and failed miserably. Downing those 12 apple sours shots didn’t mix well with cool-kid ‘minimalist-psychedelic-techno’? Almost collapsing but never quite there, you want real, old-fashioned,…
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Best Of Reykjavík 2014 (Photo Gallery)
Once a year, we like to take a step back and celebrate our little city. It’s not that Reykjavík is a city without problems, or that it’s a place that doesn’t have plenty of ways in which it could improve. This probably…
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Best Of Reykjavík 2014: Activities & Fun-Times
Once a year, we like to take a step back and celebrate our little city. It’s not that Reykjavík is a city without problems, or that it’s a place that doesn’t have plenty of ways in which it could improve. This probably…
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Don’t Give Ducks Bread (Ever)!
The city of Reykjavík is encouraging people to not feed bread to ducks at the Tjörnin pond this summer. In fact, giving ducks bread is a bad idea any season of the year.According to an announcement from the city, residents and visitors alike are…