Iceland: Out and About in Reykjavik: Hallgrímskirkja

We spent part of the second and last days of the trip exploring Reykjavik, Iceland's capital and largest city. It is a no-brainer must do stop in Iceland, mostly for the food, culture and shopping. Our first stop was Reykjavik's unmissable landmark, Hallgrímskirkja. We were lucky to get a place for the night just a block away via AirBnB. 

Hallgrímskirkja

Website: http://www.visitreykjavik.is/hallgrimskirkja-church

Hallgrimskirkja is Iceland's second tallest building. It is a Lutheran church, and also serves as an observation tower for tourists like me. Situated in the heart of Rekjavik, the church looms large over the surrounding area. Since we stayed near it, it also served as a landmark to us for getting back to our accommodation. It is easily visible from most parts of the city. Getting there was easy for us as it was just a short walk from where we were staying. Nevertheless, if you have a car, there is plenty of parking space around the church. 

Short walk up to Hallgrímskirkja (from the back).

Light breakfast at Reykjavik Roasters

We went to Hallgrímskirkja early in the morning so we had time to complete the Golden Circle tour. We made a pit stop at nearby Reykjavik Roasters for a light breakfast before heading straight for the observation tower. There is an entrance fee of ISK 800 to go up. We took an elevator up, followed by some flights of stairs up to the main observation area. The observation area was very basic and kinda makeshift to say the least. It was definitely not one of those heavily commercialized, nicely designed/furnished observation decks found in large cities. The view however, was unparalleled (mostly because there are not many tall buildings in the area). The observation area wasn't particularly large, but luckily there weren't that many people there.

The observation area. Yeap, very basic.

Looking out from the makeshift observation area.

The view though, was simply amazing. This is facing out away from the heart of Reykjavik towards Perlan, the building perched on a hill in the upper right area of the picture.

This is facing west towards the main administration center and the touristy area of Reykjavik. The city hall is located right next to Reykjavikurtjorn Lake, the small lake located in the upper left section of the picture. I just love the colorful buildings, typical of Nordic towns.

View of Harpa, the architectural crown jewel of Iceland, and a symbol of Iceland's deep involvement in the 2008 financial bubble, crash and recovery.

Checking out Hallgrímskirkja's clock from the inside while waiting for the elevator to get back down.

After soaking in the view of Reykjavik, we headed back down to explore the church. I love visiting cathedrals. I'm always in awe of the level of artistry involved. Though I have been inside several Catholic cathedrals, I don't recall ever being inside a Lutheran church, so this was a first for me. The look of the church was definitely different from a Catholic cathedral, both inside and out. It felt much more simpler in design. It didn't have sophisticated stained glass windows, or intricate decorations/artwork in the ceiling. However, the feel of the spaciousness was similar. The main hall had a very tall ceiling.

Main hallway, with the pipe organ at the end near the entrance.

The altar.

Though Reykjavik was settled way back in AD 874, this landmark church was a very recent addition, relatively speaking. It was only completed in 1986. The church's exterior has a very unique design that resembles the volcanic basalt columns of Svartifoss. Outside the entrance of the church, lies the statue of Leif Eriksson, the Icelandic explorer who reached North America centuries before Christopher Columbus. The statue was a gift from the United States to Iceland to mark the 1000 year anniversary of the Alþingi, the parliament of Iceland.

The church and the statue.

Inscription on the statue.

Hallgrímskirkja is definitely a must go to get unrivaled views of Reykjavik.