“Seydisfjordur looks like a slice of Norway because it is one: 19th-century Norwegian merchants shipped over the prefab timber town that still lines the fjord.”
About Seyðisfjörður
Norwegian entrepreneurs built Seydisfjordur as a herring and trade station in the 1880s, importing wooden buildings in kit form. The town prospered, gained one of Iceland's first telegraph connections to Europe, and later reinvented itself as a centre for artists. The weekly Smyril Line ferry from Denmark still arrives here, making it many travellers' first sight of Iceland.
Seydisfjordur is a small, photogenic town at the head of a long fjord in east Iceland, known for its colourful timber houses, a powder-blue church, and a rainbow-painted street that leads straight up to it. Hemmed in by steep mountains and waterfalls, it is one of the most charming towns in the country and the docking point for the only car ferry between Iceland and mainland Europe.
Hemmed in by steep mountains and waterfalls, it is one of the most charming towns in the country and the docking point for the only car ferry between Iceland and mainland Europe.
A Norwegian Town in Iceland
The town's character comes from Norway. In the late 19th century, Norwegian merchants set up a herring and trading station here and shipped over prefabricated timber buildings in the Norwegian style, which still line the fjord. That heritage, plus the dramatic setting, made Seydisfjordur an arts hub, and the rainbow street to the blue church has become one of Iceland's most recognisable images.
The Experience
You arrive over a high mountain pass and drop into a green fjord ringed by waterfalls, with the blue church at the end of the famous rainbow-painted path. The town is tiny and walkable, full of galleries, cafes and timber houses reflected in the still water. It has an unhurried, creative feel quite different from the busier south.
Why It Matters
Seydisfjordur is the clearest example of Norway's imprint on east Iceland, and its blend of imported architecture and isolation turned it into one of the country's strongest small arts communities. As the European ferry port, it is also a historic gateway between Iceland and the continent.
Seydisfjordur is the clearest example of Norway's imprint on east Iceland, and its blend of imported architecture and isolation turned it into one of the country's strongest small arts communities.
Why Visit
The rainbow street and blue church, the Norwegian timber architecture and the laid-back arts scene, all in a spectacular fjord. A few hours is enough to walk it.
✦ Insider Tips
- 1
Photograph the rainbow-painted street leading up to the blue church, the town's signature shot.
- 2
Check the road over the Fjardarheidi pass in winter; it closes in bad weather.
- 3
Browse the galleries and cafes; the town has a strong small arts scene.
- 4
If arriving by the Smyril Line ferry from Denmark, this is your first stop in Iceland.
