Seydisfjordur

Seydisfjordur is a town in the Eastfjords of Iceland at the innermost point of the fjord of the same name.

Seydisfjordur is regarded by many as one of Iceland's most picturesque towns, due to both its impressive environment and the community of old wooden buildings which have been preserved so well here.

Seydisfjordur shelters beneath Mt. Strandartindur and Mt. Bjólfur. In the valley above the town, the river Fjarðará cascades from the edge of the heath above beautiful waterfalls, down to Lón (the lagoon) at the head of the fjord. A road leads up from the fjord to the Hérað district, 26km away across Fjarðarheiði heath. The heath is crossed by road, and offers great views of the surrounding area.

The Technical Museum of East Iceland's main focus is on the influx of modern times around 1880 to 1950 in areas such as mechanics, electricity, communications, telephony, commerce and architecture. (Open Mon-Fri).

Skaftfell is dedicated to nurturing and exhibiting visual art, the main emphasis being contemporary art. The centre is located in a grand old house, built in 1907 and on the first floor there is an exhibition space with exhibitions running the whole year through.

Fjardarselsvirkjun is Iceland’s oldest operational power plant, started on October 18th 1913. The plant marked a turning point in the history of Icelandic electrification and it was the first power plant in Iceland that generated alternating current.

Tvisongur is a site-specific sound sculpture, located on a mountainside above Seydisfjordur. The work is built of concrete and consists of five interconnected domes of different sizes. Each dome has its own resonance that corresponds to a tone in the Icelandic musical tradition of five-tone harmony, and works as a natural amplifier to that tone.

There are lots of hiking opportunities in the area, maps are available at the Information Centre at the Ferry Terminal.

Opposite Fjardarsel Hydro-electric power station is a 9 hole golf course and club house. Golfing equipment can be hired upon request.

Explore the town on foot, hire a kayak or bicycle to explore further afield or take a 4×4 sightseeing tour to Mt. Bjólfur. You can even paraglide from here.

A locally run Crafts Market offers a variety of art and crafts, with a good selection of Icelandic hand knitted products and pieces made of reindeer bones.

Fresh fish and seafood such as monkfish, cod, scallops and lobster, reindeer and lamb as well as pizzas, hamburgers and homemade cakes can all be found on local menus.

There are two docking areas in Seydisfjordur for smaller vessels - the South Pier, Strandarbakki and the North Pier, Bjolfsbakki. Larger ships will anchor and tender passengers ashore.

The tender dock is wheelchair accessible and toilet facilities can be found at the cruise terminal.

The downtown area is only 0.8km away from the terminal.