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Reykjavik is one of Europes hot cities, thanks to its music scene and famed nightlife, with bubbling geysers and thermal springs nearby. Reykjaviks special energy draws on its unique physical and cultural landscape.

The northernmost national capital on Earth is a city of breathtaking contrasts. Small wooden houses with corrugated-iron roofs stand alongside futuristic glass buildings. Sophisticated cultural centres are just minutes away from newly created lava fields. Reykjavik is also a city where international influences blend seamlessly with Icelandic traditions, creating a unique European culture with roots that are ancient, but an outlook that is supremely modern.

The founders.
In 874, Ingolfur Aranson became the first settler to step onto Icelandic soil. He called the place where he settled Smoky Bay because ghostly vapours rose out of the earth near his home. Where they came from and why, no one knew, Over the next thousand years, very few people settled along the widely spaced inlets leading into Smoky Bay.

Reykjavik would not prosper until well into the eighteenth century, when Governor Skiili Magnusson revitalized Icelands economy by promoting wool manufacturing, fishing and shipbuilding. In 1749, he ordered that new harbours and shipyards be constructed on Smoky Bay, making Magnusson the citys founding father. Reykjavik received its city charter in 1786.

Independence.
Once under way, Reykjavik thrived. Nevertheless, Iceland was still under Danish sovereignty and subject to the ups and downs of political and economic decisions made in distant Scandinavia. Iceland danced to the tune of the Danes until 1944, when everything changed. British and American troops stationed in Reykjavik during World War II brought Iceland a level of prosperity it had never known, leaving Reykjavik poised to become an important commercial centre. On 17 June 1944, the city finally gained independence from Denmark. Since then, Reykjavik has continued to thrive, and there doesnt seem to be an end in sight.

Not just for the scenery.
Many visitors to this far-flung island in the North Atlantic come for the amazing, unique scenery, but there are many sights to see in Reykjavik itself. The Old City, located on a small plot of land between Tjornin Pond and the sea, has a number of eighteenth-century buildings, and Tjornin Pond is a bird watchers paradise. The new city hall (1992) is located on its northern bank.

The relief map of Iceland on display in its exhibition hall is a must-see. The Fogetinn (1751) is the oldest building in Reykjavik, and currently houses a restaurant serving traditional Icelandic food. Across the street is the newly restored monumental statue of Ingolfur Aranson, built in part with basalt columns said to be similar to those from his original homestead.

Hallgrimskirkja church.
The modern Hallgrimskirkja is the symbol of Reykjavik, and a great place to begin a tour of the city. It was built on a hill and looks down over the entire city. Rising 73 metres, the churchs central spire offers the best view of Reykjavik with the wide expanse of ocean in the background. A statue of Leif Ericson stands in front of the churchs main portal.

It was a gift from the United States in honour of the 1,000-year anniversary of the founding of Icelands parliament, the Althing, the first democratic assembly in Europe. Valley of the hot springs. The Laugardalur hot springs are just 3 km outside the city. Nearby are a huge camping site, a youth hostel, large open-air baths, a botanical Garden, a zoo and a sculpture garden. Hot water is pumped from numerous holes drilled in the earth. The steaming water is then circulated to heat the turf of Reykjaviks football stadium, among other things. Geothermal heat is the basis of nearly every heating system in Iceland. For centuries, Reykjaviks residents have derived their hot water and winter heat from the Earth.

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