At the harbour in Höfn, nature meets art and regional culture. Ósland offers walking paths, diverse birdlife and visible tree imprints in basalt; in town, Svavarssafn, Gamlabúð and the Pakkhús restaurant complete the picture. If you are considering Höfn as a place to stay, you can weigh your travel interests more specifically: wildlife watching and walking paths, exhibitions and local history, or a visit to the outdoor swimming pool.
Ósland: Paths, Birdlife and Traces of Nature
Ósland is a nature reserve at the harbour in Höfn. A man-made causeway connects the area to the mainland. Walking paths run around the pond Óslandstjörn and along the shore.
Ósland has diverse birdlife; Arctic terns predominate during the breeding season. If these birds are a particular interest, the breeding season is a helpful reference point for planning your trip. Nature also has a geological side here: imprints of trees that were covered by lava long ago are visible in the basalt. These traces give your walk a different focus from the pond, shore and birdwatching.
From Ósland, a nature trail passes through a scale model of the solar system. Sizes and distances are shown proportionally, making the trail a way to explore the relative sizes and distances within the solar system. Óslandshæð is also home to a memorial to fishermen and an information board about the surrounding natural area. Here, nature, education and remembrance take different forms.
Art and Regional Culture
Svavarssafn is an art museum dedicated to the abstract painter and Cobra artist Svavar Guðnason. Its collection includes about 1,000 works of art. The museum regularly exhibits works by Svavar Guðnason and other artists from Austur-Skaftafellssýsla. Both the individual artist and the regional art scene are in focus, while the collection and exhibitions offer different ways to engage with art.
Gamlabúð serves several purposes: the building is a tourist information centre, museum and cultural centre. An exhibition explores the region’s geology, glaciers and culture. There is also a small souvenir shop. If the exhibition or shop is important to your visit, check the current visitor offerings in advance.
Local Life, Restaurant and Swimming Pool
The Pakkhús restaurant is in the heart of Höfn, right by the harbour and the information centre. It is housed in an old warehouse, where original product stamps remain on the walls.
In recent years, Höfn has promoted lobster as an important part of the town’s image. This included a lobster festival held annually in summer.
Another option is Sundlaug Hafnar: the outdoor swimming pool is 25 metres long and has warm and cold pools, a paddling pool and a steam room. Unlike the walking paths and exhibitions, swimming is the main focus here. Höfn therefore offers very different themes to consider when planning your stay: protected nature and birdlife, regional art and culture, local history or a swim in the outdoor pool.
Discover more destinations: Neskaupstadur, Fáskrúðsfjörður, Disastaðir, Bjarnanes, Laugarfell, Borgarfjörður, Breiðdalsvík, Seyðisfjörður
For the regional travel overview: Austurland.
