Icelandic Culture

A varied mixture of green spaces and lakes, markets and museums gives Reykjavik's old town its own unique charm. In the National Museum, for those who are interested in Norwegian and Icelandic culture will get their money's worth. Just behind, the Árni Magnússon Institute is a must for fans of Nordic legends. If you leave the old town towards the east, you will find yourself among the newer, more colourful buildings of modern Reykjavik.

In the city there are many cute cafés and restaurants which are open until late in the evening and are mostly frequented by tourists from every corner of the world and local people. The pubs and restaurants are decorated with lights and arts making the city shimmer in different lights and the quiet streets resound with music.

This video shows the part I mentioned before, how colorful the streets are and music coming from each pubs and restaurants. You can also see my roommate :)

• Hospitality and openness

During our stay in Reykjavík and exploring the city, we met and got to know some of the locals of Reykjavík. They were very open and helpful, giving us tips and recommendations on what to see during our trip. We were also invited for a round of darts and spent the evening with new friends.

Also during one of our Airbnb stays in an inn we were welcomed by the hospitality of the locals and we were given help and tips which surprised us positively.

Furthermore I noticed during our stay in Iceland the payment which is only done with credit or debit cards and also in Finland, in Germany this method of payment is not used so much as it is being used in Iceland.

• Art

Iceland is artistically very experienced, the understanding for art is very high, as many inhabitants are artistically active in their free time. There is a wide range of art galleries, but the biggest of all is in the streets. Especially in Reykjavik you will find artwork radiating from streets and house walls, you will definitely see some art if you go to reykjavik keep your eyes open!

Also the locals we met during our stay and played darts together, are artists and have lots of beautiful paintings which they sell and share on the internet.

• Clean Water and Groceries

While shopping I also noticed how much the prices of normal groceries, such as a pack of eggs, differ from Germany. While a standard pack of eggs costs around 2 euro in Germany, a pack of eggs in Iceland costs around 6 euro which is equivalent to about 800 Icelandic crowns.

Furthermore, you can use and drink the water coming out of the tap without any further thought. In Germany we buy bottled water from the supermarket and don't drink from the tap, because the water is not as pure as here in Finland and Iceland. Another point that made our stay in Iceland easier is that the locals speak good English, so we never had problems getting help and all our questions were answered. So should you decide to travel to Iceland, you don't have to worry about how to communicate.

• Cuisine

Lamb dishes are often eaten all over the island and you will find it on every menu.The sheep are kept outside and feed on the local grasses and berries - no wonder the meat tastes so good. Due to the fact that I don’t like Lamb, I didn’t try it but I only heard and read good about the lamb in Iceland. So if you are going to Iceland and like Lamb, I am sure it is worth a try, Bon appetite!

These are the lamb dishes which are mostly seen on the menu cards and these are also the specialities in iceland:

1. Kjötsúpa - Soup with lamb and vegetables

2. Hangikjöt - Smoked lamb served with potatoes, bechamel sauce and peas

Fish & Seafood It is no secret that fish & seafood play a central role in Iceland. Not only from a culinary point of view, as the fish trade is considered one of the most important sources of income in the country.

During my stay I ate fish and chips, which were very tasty. The fish was very tender and harmonized very well with the chips. Here are fish dishes which are very popular among Icelanders:

1. Harðfiskur - A popular snack of the Icelanders - salty dried fish from cod or haddock

2. Plokkfiskur - Fish ragout of haddock or cod, potatoes, onions and white sauce, served with rye bread and butter

Fish and Chips :)