NSR - Welcome to Reykjavik

The story of Iceland tells about people moving from the Scandinavian peninsula in 874, but modern scientist have found many signs of settlement in Iceland several decades before that. In 930 the settlers in Iceland founded Althing in the Thingvellir area. The purpose of Althing was to make rules and laws to settle disputes between Icelanders. Thingvellir is also a remarkable place since it is situated where the North America and the Eurasia plates move apart.

Iceland is an island around 105 thousand square kilometres where the biggest part is inhabited because of lava fields and glaciers. The country has a cold name but since the Golf Stream carries warm seawater up to the coasts of Iceland the climate is relatively mild. But heavy storms and snow or rain can make damages. Volcanic eruption and earthquakes have had devastating effects. But the nature can also be beautiful and inviting.

In the beginning it was Vikinger and Skjoldmøer that lived in Iceland. To day it is well-educated individuals as in our Nordic brother countries.

Reykjavík is believed to be the location of the first permanent settlement in Iceland, which, according to Ingólfur Arnarson, was established in 874. The city was founded in 1786 as an official trading town and grew steadily over the next decades, as it transformed into a regional and later national centre of commerce, population, and governmental activities. It is among the cleanest, greenest, and safest cities in the world. In the Capital Region of Reykjavik lives over 200,000 people around 2/3 of Icelands population.

We wish you a pleasant stay in Reykjavik and hope you have good memories when you return home and hopefully you will come back soon to see some more of our beautiful country.