36 Hours in Reykjavik

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 20 September 2013 | 17.35

The major news out of Iceland in recent years has not been good. First a banking collapse crippled the economy in 2008, and then a year and a half later, the volcanic eruption at Eyjafjallajokull halted air travel across the Atlantic and in Europe, frustrating millions. But signs of an upswing — economic and otherwise — can be spotted in Reykjavik, where this year the capital's impressive new concert hall won the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Award, the European Union's top prize for contemporary architecture. In other parts of town, new restaurants are embracing fresh local fare, and the bacchanalian night life is thumping with a crop of new bars and clubs. This winter has been predicted to be a particularly favorable time to observe the aurora borealis dancing across the night sky, but already Reykjavik is shining.

FRIDAY

3:30 p.m.
1. Hallowed Halls

To get your bearings, take the elevator to the top of the austere Hallgrimskirkja, an imposing pale gray church whose distinctive stepped-slope facade frames a tower (admission, 700 kronur, or about $6 at 118 kronur to the dollar) from which a bird's-eye view of the city's colorful rooftops and compact downtown awaits. Then return to sea level to marvel at the city's newest architectural landmark: the Harpa concert hall, unveiled in May 2011, is a dazzling geometric structure that sits like a jewel on the waterfront. Home to Iceland's symphony orchestra and opera, Harpa is well worth a visit even if only to gaze through the honeycomb-like glass facade, designed in collaboration with the Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson.

5:30 p.m.
2. Records and Reels

A modest two-story house fronted with corrugated metal is where you'll find 12 Tonar, a small record store, listening room and gathering place for local musicians. The pocket-size shop often hosts live performances on Friday afternoons, with bands squeezed between bins and shelves in a setup reminiscent of NPR's Tiny Desk concerts. After the show, head downstairs to listen to any album from the ever-changing selection, which is as varied as the influences that fuel Iceland's experimental music scene. Prefer reels to records? Then stroll over to the cozy Bio Paradis, an independent four-screen cinema that opened in 2010 showing new movies, art-house flicks and Icelandic films (often with English subtitles), like the moving Sigur Ros documentary "Heima" about the band's 2006 series of free, unannounced concerts around Iceland.

8 p.m.
3. Icelandic Tapas

Dine on a parade of creative small plates at Forrettabarinn, a new restaurant near the harbor that hums with convivial chatter. Glowing pendant lamps and eclectic artworks brighten the industrial interior, where groups of friends gather around long wooden tables to graze on locally sourced hot smoked salmon and plump blue mussels. A highlight of a recent meal was a plate of buttery cod with crispy pork belly, chunks of chorizo and creamed parsnips (1,890 kronur), which was bested only by dessert: a parfait of skyr — an Icelandic yogurt-like dairy product — layered with cream and blueberries (1,390 kronur).

10 p.m.
4. Civilized Sips

Until 1989, most beers were banned in Iceland under an old prohibition law, so when it comes to beer drinking (and brewing), the country has a lot of catching up to do. Even today, craft brewing is just starting to catch on, which means it's feasible to sample beers from most of the domestic craft breweries in a single night. Start at the year-old Kaldi Bar, where there are several cozy nooks in which to sip a pint of caramel-tinged Kaldi dark. Then pull up a stool at MicroBar, an unassuming new pub hidden behind the lobby of the City Center Hotel, which has eight taps dedicated to Icelandic craft brews like Gaedingur Brugghus's hoppy IPA; a flight to taste all eight costs 3,500 kronur.

SATURDAY

8 a.m.
5. Waterfront Walk

Wake up with a walk along the waterfront path that winds northwest out of the city into the residential Seltjarnarnes area and toward the lighthouse on Grotta Island. With uninterrupted views of the majestic Esja mountain range across the water, it's an enjoyable two-mile trek to the tip of the peninsula. If you can't continue onto Grotta — it's reachable by foot only during low tide when a rocky, seaweed-strewn isthmus emerges — consider dipping your toes in the geothermal footbath (actually a sculpture by Olof Nordal called "Kvika") nestled among the rocks nearby.

11:30 a.m.
6. Waffles and Art


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