Stykkishólmur
Stykkishólmur is the largest town on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula with around 1,100 residents, sitting on a promontory above a natural harbour on the northern coast of the peninsula overlooking Breiðafjörður bay. Often called the capital of Snæfellsnes, it has been a trading and fishing centre since at least the 16th century. The town is notable for its collection of well-preserved 19th-century timber buildings, the most famous of which is Norska Húsið, the Norwegian House, built in 1832 from materials imported from Norway and now a folk museum. Weather observations have been recorded here continuously since 1845, the longest unbroken meteorological record in Iceland. The Baldur ferry departs from the harbour to Flatey Island and Brjánslækur in the Westfjords, making Stykkishólmur the main connection point between Snæfellsnes and the Westfjords. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty used the town as a filming location for scenes set in Greenland.
The Capital of Snæfellsnes, with Iceland's Longest Unbroken Weather Record and a Ferry to the Westfjords
Stykkishólmur developed as a trading port in the 16th century when Danish merchants established operations at its natural harbour, one of the most sheltered on the northern Snæfellsnes coast. The town's most prominent historical figure is Árni Thorlacius, who inherited the town's trading rights in the early 19th century and built the Norwegian House in 1832 from timber imported from Norway, at the time the most substantial private building in the area. Árni also began systematic meteorological observations in 1845, and the tradition has continued without interruption ever since, giving Stykkishólmur the longest unbroken weather record of any location in Iceland. The Norwegian House is now a folk museum with a room dedicated to Árni and his wife Anna. Many of the other 19th-century buildings along the harbour front have been carefully preserved and now house hotels, restaurants, and galleries, giving the town a visual coherence rare in Iceland.
The town is the departure point for the Baldur ferry, which crosses Breiðafjörður to Brjánslækur in the Westfjords with a summer stop at Flatey Island. The crossing takes around two and a half hours and is the most practical connection between Snæfellsnes and the Westfjords for visitors not wishing to drive the long route around the bay. Boat tours of Breiðafjörður depart from the same harbour and explore the bay's thousands of small islands, combining wildlife watching, shellfish tasting, and views of the surrounding landscape. The island of Sugandisey, reachable by a short walk from the town centre, has a lighthouse at its summit and gives panoramic views over the bay and town. The hill of Helgafell, a few kilometres south of town, is one of the most sacred sites in the Laxdæla Saga and is said to grant three wishes to those who climb it in silence without looking back.
Stykkishólmur is on Route 58, about 172 kilometres from Reykjavík and two and a half hours by car via Route 1 and Route 54. The town has hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, a supermarket, a petrol station, and a swimming pool. It is the main service hub for the northern Snæfellsnes coast and a practical overnight base for exploring the peninsula. The town was used as a filming location for The Secret Life of Walter Mitty in 2013, with scenes representing Greenland shot on the harbour and surrounding streets. From Stykkishólmur the southern coast of the peninsula and Snæfellsjökull glacier are about an hour away via the mountain road Vatnaleið.
