Stykkishólmur Colors

West

Stykkishólmur has been a trading hub on the Snæfellsnes peninsula since at least the early 16th century, and the town still carries the confidence of a place that has always had commercial purpose. It sits on the north side of the peninsula above a natural harbor sheltered by the basalt stack of Súgandisey island, whose lighthouse is a short walk from the center. The Norwegian House — built in 1828 from timber imported from Norway — now holds the local history museum and is among the oldest surviving structures in the region. The Library of Water, installed by American artist Roni Horn in the old library building, fills a hilltop room with floor-to-ceiling glass columns containing water drawn from Iceland's major glaciers. It's an unusual and worthwhile stop, not large, but quietly affecting. The harbor connects to boat tours through Breiðafjörður bay and to the Baldur ferry, which crosses to Flatey island and continues to the Westfjords — a useful route for anyone heading that direction without wanting to drive the long way around. Film enthusiasts will recognize parts of town from "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," where Stykkishólmur stood in for Nuuk, Greenland. In practical terms the town is the best-equipped base on Snæfellsnes: accommodation at several price points, a geothermal pool, a supermarket, and a handful of good restaurants working with local shellfish. Budget around an hour to walk the harbor area, the hilltop church viewpoint, and the Norwegian House, then more time if you visit the Library of Water or take a bay tour.

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