Alþingi National Parliament
The Althingi is Iceland's national parliament and the oldest legislature in the world, founded in 930 AD. Its current home is a striking black basalt building on Austurvollur Square in the heart of Reykjavik, free to visit and just a short walk from most of the city's main attractions.
The World's Oldest Parliament, from Thingvellir to Downtown Reykjavik
The Althingi was established in 930 AD at Thingvellir, around 45 kilometres east of present-day Reykjavik, making it the oldest legislature still in operation anywhere in the world. In its earliest form it was a gathering of Viking chieftains who met each summer to pass laws, settle disputes, and conduct the business of the Commonwealth. It was a remarkably open institution for its era: any free citizen could attend, and the Lawspeaker would recite the law from memory at the Law Rock. The parliament continued at Thingvellir for centuries until Danish rule effectively reduced it to a court of law, and it was formally disbanded in 1800. It was re-established by royal decree in 1845 and moved to Reykjavik, where it has sat ever since.
The current parliament building, known as Althingisgusid, was built between 1880 and 1881 from hewn dark basalt quarried from the hill where Hallgrimskirkja now stands. It was designed by Danish architect Ferdinand Meldahl to mark the millennium of Iceland's settlement, and the crown and crest of King Christian IX of Denmark remain carved into the northern facade. Four bas-relief carvings of Iceland's four guardian spirits, a giant, a great bird, a bull, and a dragon, sit below the second-floor windows. The garden behind the building, near Lake Tjornin, is the oldest public garden in Iceland. The statue at the centre of Austurvollur Square in front depicts Jon Sigurdsson, the leader of Iceland's 19th-century independence movement.
The exterior of the building is freely accessible at all times and makes for one of the more interesting architectural stops in central Reykjavik. Austurvollur Square itself is one of the city's main public gathering places and the traditional location for political demonstrations, including the 2008 Kitchenware Revolution that followed Iceland's financial crisis. Guided tours of the interior are available on request and offer a closer look at the debating chamber and the parliament's historical collections. The building is within easy walking distance of Harpa Concert Hall, the Old Harbour, and Reykjavik Cathedral.
