Viðey Island

Viðey

Capital Region

Viðey is a 1.6-square-kilometre island reached by a five-minute ferry from Skarfabakki harbour near Reykjavík's cruise terminal. The return ferry ticket costs 2,500 ISK for adults (free with the Reykjavík City Card); there is no additional entry fee. Settlement here dates to around 900 AD, and an Augustinian monastery operated on the island from 1225 until the Reformation in 1539. The 1755 stone house Viðeyjarstofa — one of Iceland's oldest stone buildings, designed by Danish architect Nicolai Eigtved — now serves as a café and event space. The island holds two major works of contemporary art. American sculptor Richard Serra installed Áfangar in 1990, a series of nine pairs of basalt columns placed around the western perimeter of the island; their heights follow the natural contour of the land and frame views toward Reykjavík and Mount Esja. Yoko Ono dedicated the Imagine Peace Tower in 2007 as a memorial to John Lennon: a wishing well inscribed with "imagine peace" in 24 languages projects a beam of white light skyward each year between October 9 and December 8. Walking trails cross the island through meadows with over 150 wildflower species, and around 30 bird species nest here including eider ducks and Arctic terns. Summer ferries also depart from the Old Harbour, making a 20-minute crossing. A full visit covering the walking trails and main sites takes roughly two to three hours. Photo: Joe deSousa / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

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