Arguably, there is no town or village in Iceland that isn’t beautiful, just based on the country’s landscape. What it really means is that there’s just more competition. But if you’re looking for breathtaking scenery and a small, cozy village straight out of a storybook, head to Seyðisfjörður.
You’ll find Seyðisfjörður along the north coast of Iceland, tucked into a narrow fjord, which is also the town’s namesake. It’s a fishing village with a population fewer than 1,200 people, but it gets its fair share of visitors.
Every July, the town prepares for the annual Folk Music Festival, which brings in people from around the world. Prior to 2010, it was hard to visit this town, given its unique location along the fjord. But since opening traffic tunnels through Hedinsfjörður, Seyðisfjörður has become easier to visit for anyone traveling around the Ring Road or passing by to or from Akureyri (the second-largest city in Iceland).
At one point in time, Seyðisfjörður was the herring fishing capital of the Northern Atlantic—today, you’ll find an entire museum, the Herring Era Museum, dedicated to the industry. If you’re lucky, you can peek in on the salting process as it happens. After finding out how herring is fished and what the boats looked like, head to the Grana Factory to watch how herring is used after it’s caught.
All manmade attractions aside, the real beauty comes from the surrounding area. The Siglufjörður fjord surrounds the city with steep mountain ranges. You’ll also find Héðinsfjarðarvatn lake in the area, which is known for its trout fishing. During the summertime, more than 16 species of birds pass through, adding to the dramatic landscape.
Hike out of town a bit to explore ruins of a remote farm, just northeast of Hedinsfjörður. Seyðisfjörður is Iceland at its most beautiful, mixing history, weather-torn ruins, intense geography, coastline, and dramatic mountains all in one.
