Reykjavik

Reykjavik

Reykjavík has been described as a young and daring city that is characterised by strong contrasts. Conveniently small, clean and safe, it is more or less free from the major problems that haunt many other capitals. 

Big city events are frequent, the winter lights festival finished recently with thousands of participants and more tourist at this time of the year than we are used to, half of the city's population participates directly in. The Reykjavík Culture Night in August and Reykjavík Arts Festival in Mayare now more ambitious then ever before. 

The nightlife has become legendary and the art scene is vibrant throughout the year, especially in the winter time though, with an incredible number of art exhibitions, concerts, theatrical performances etc. There is a lot of cultural energy in Reykjavik.

Reykjavík sometimes feels like a cosmopolitan capital and a tiny seaside village--all wrapped up in one. But Reykjavik has the best of both worlds: the qualities of a modern, forward-looking society complemented by a close connection to Iceland's beautiful and unspoilt nature.

Actually, the former slogan of the city used to be "Next Door to Nature"--which is certainly true. The forces of nature are all around, in the abundance of geothermal energy sources, the lava fields, the volcanoes, the waterfalls, the hot springs and geysers, green pastures and so on. 

The people of Reykjavik, ever the optimists, have even created a thermal beach just 15 minutes walk from the city center, which is very popular by sunbathers in the summer even though it gets a bit chilly sometimes. 

The thermal water is also used for numerous luxurious spa and swimming pool facilities--all of which make Reykjavík an excellent resort for health and wellness and an ideal place to recharge one's batteries

The optimism of the Icelanders is also illustrated by an ambitious project opening in the summer of 2011: a state-of-the-art Harpa concert and conference hall by the Reykjavik harbor. New hotels are also being built, new museums are opening and there is constantly growing range of leisure activities on offer in and around the city. 

Owing to these many different forces, both cultural and natural, the capital city of Iceland has been given a new slogan: "Reykjavík  - Pure Energy".

• Nightlife in Reykjavik
• Mt. Esja
• Faxafloi Bay