The sky of Iceland

Hveragerði is known as the “town of greenhouses”, built on a geothermal area so active that hot steam rises from the ground between the houses and feeds the greenhouses where fruit, vegetables and flowers grow even in winter. At the foot of the Reykjadalur hills winds a valley where a naturally warm river flows, allowing an open-air soak after a short hike. The centre is home to a geothermal park open to visitors and a small museum, while the area''s seismic activity is told in a dedicated exhibition. A few minutes from Route 1 and the Golden Circle, Hveragerði is a curious and relaxing stop. Between steam, vegetable gardens and thermal bathing, it is one of the south''s most distinctive places.

Kirkjubæjarklaustur, with its almost unpronounceable name often shortened to “Klaustur”, is a tiny village set among lava fields and waterfalls in southern Iceland, once the site of a medieval convent. Extraordinary geological curiosities cluster around it: the basalt pavement of Kirkjugólf, smoothed by time to resemble human paving, the Systrafoss waterfall and the Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon, a winding gorge of mossy walls carved by a river. The village is also the last outpost before the expanse of sand and lava of Skeiðarársandur, at the foot of Vatnajökull. Isolated and atmospheric, Klaustur is a natural stop along Route 1 between Vík and Höfn.

Vík í Mýrdal is Iceland''s southernmost village, gathered between steep green cliffs and the Atlantic Ocean, in the shadow of the subglacial volcano Katla. The little white church with its red roof, perched on the hilltop, is the village''s postcard image. A few steps separate the settlement from the famous black-sand beach of Reynisfjara, where the basalt columns of the Hálsanefshellir cave and the Reynisdrangar sea stacks rise from the waves — a beautiful but dangerous shore, to be admired from a distance because of its sneaker waves. Vík is an ideal base for exploring the south coast: the Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss waterfalls, the Dyrhólaey headland with its rock arch, and the puffin colonies. Suspended between glacier, volcano and ocean, it is one of the country''s most striking places.

Reykjavík is the world''s northernmost capital, a compact and colourful city spread between Faxaflói Bay and the snow-streaked profile of Mount Esja. The heart of city life beats along Laugavegur, the main shopping street, and through the lanes of the Old Town, where houses clad in corrugated iron painted red, yellow and turquoise crowd around Lake Tjörnin, alive with waterbirds. The skyline is dominated by Hallgrímskirkja, the Lutheran church with expressionist lines inspired by basalt columns, whose tower offers sweeping views over rooftops, sea and mountains. On the waterfront the Harpa concert hall and conference centre glitters behind a honeycomb glass façade that catches the northern light, while a little further on the Sólfar sculpture (the “Sun Voyager”) traces its steel skeleton against the fjord. Culture carries a weight out of all proportion to the city''s size: the National Museum of Iceland tells eleven centuries of history from the Vikings onward, the Reykjavík Art Museum and the studio-house of sculptor Einar Jónsson round out the picture, while live-music venues and famous cafés come alive on summer evenings, when the sun never sets. Reykjavík also runs on warm geothermal water: open-air pools such as Laugardalslaug are social institutions, and the geothermal beach at Nauthólsvík allows bathing even in winter. The city is the ideal base for the Golden Circle — Þingvellir, Geysir and the Gullfoss waterfall — and for trips in search of the northern lights or whales out in the bay. Between Nordic design, a cuisine that reinvents fish, lamb and foraged ingredients, and an outsized creative energy, Reykjavík is a vibrant gateway to the whole of Iceland.