Laufás Historic

North

Laufás sits on the western shore of Eyjafjörður in North Iceland, with farm records going back to the 11th century. The turf buildings you walk through today date mostly from the latter 19th century, built as a prosperous priest's residence: gable-end construction, thick sod walls, interconnected timber-framed rooms. Period furnishings and tools fill the interior, giving a credible sense of how a large household lived here. The small church, built in 1865, contains a carved pulpit dated 1698 — one of the finer surviving pieces of ecclesiastical woodwork in Iceland. The National Museum acquired Laufás in 1948 and has carried out conservation work since. A carved eider drake on one gable references the nesting areas that once brought the farm considerable income. The site is about 30 kilometers from Akureyri along Eyjafjörður on paved roads. Opening hours run daily 11am–5pm, June through August. Visits outside that window can sometimes be arranged through the Akureyri Museum. Admission is modest; the relatively light visitor traffic makes it easy to move at your own pace.

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