Gásir Medieval Trading Post

Gásir

North Iceland

For several centuries in the Middle Ages, Gásir was northern Iceland's most important trading hub — a seasonal harbour on Eyjafjörður where merchants from across Europe arrived each summer. Excavations from 2001 to 2006 found trading booth remains and evidence of high-value exports: gyrfalcons, walrus ivory, and sulphur alongside bulk goods like dried fish. The site appears in several Old Icelandic sagas and was active from around the 11th century until trade shifted south to Akureyri in the 16th century. Today Gásir is a quiet, flat stretch of land on the fjord about 11 kilometres north of Akureyri, reached by a short gravel road. There is no reconstruction — just the open ground, the fjord view, and interpretive signs explaining the excavations. Every July the Akureyri Museum runs a medieval festival here with period costumes, crafts, and food; if the timing works, it is worth combining with a visit. Access is free, the gravel road does not require a 4WD, and the site is open year-round. The most comfortable visiting window is May through September.

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