I haven't updated this section for a long time. But we have already discussed with you Look who is interested before the trip, and we will continue about Iceland. So …

1. Iceland is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world, with about 320 thousand people living here, and before the Second World War the country's population was only 50 thousand.

2. Since everyone in Iceland knows each other, when parting or divorcing a couple always tries to keep a good relationship. Cases when an ex-boyfriend does not communicate with an ex-girlfriend or ex-spouses do not talk to each other are extremely rare, because in any case, they have almost all friends and acquaintances in common.

3. Instead of surnames in Iceland - patronymics, that is, an analogue of our patronymic. The particle “sleep” (that is, son) or “dottir” (if it is a daughter) is added to the name of the father, for example, Silia Palmarsdottir, that is, Silia Palmars daughter, is added.

4. In the event that the father for some reason does not recognize the child, the son or daughter receives a matronym as a surname, that is, the same patronymic, but by the name of the mother.

5. Since everyone in Reykjavik knows each other, the doors of houses here are often not locked, car keys are left in cars, and children in strollers are left unattended at the entrance to a cafe, bar or shop.

6. In Reykjavik, it is considered normal to go to the nearest grocery store in pajamas.

7. Residents of Reykjavik almost always pay for purchases with bank cards, even if they order coffee at a bar. Cash is not accepted here.

8. Icelanders are sure that blowing your nose is unhealthy, so in winter everyone here sniffs, that is, sorry, they draw snot into themselves.

9. But spitting, on the contrary, is not considered indecent, even girls spit on the street and in public places without any problems.

10. In fact, winter in Iceland is not as cold as we used to think, the temperature here rarely drops below -6 degrees.

11. But in winter it is dark in Iceland, on December 21 - on the shortest day of the year, dawn comes at 10.30, and the sun sets already at 16.00. Change in summer long nights long days come, compared with which the white nights in St. Petersburg are simply nothing, in June in Iceland the sun sets for only a couple of hours.

12. The lack of sunlight in winter is compensated to some extent by the northern lights, you can see it all the time, so after a couple of weeks you no longer pay attention to it.

13. Since the sun does not shine in Iceland in winter, all the inhabitants of the country, in order to avoid rickets and other unpleasant diseases, take fish oil without fail, but not in liquid form, but in tasteless capsules.

14. Almost all Icelanders have profiles on Facebook, according to the latest data, Iceland is an active country in the social network.

15. Even if a resident of Iceland for some reason does not have a profile on Facebook, he can still be easily found on the network. All residents of the country voluntarily register on the ja.is website, where they indicate their first and last name, phone number, address and place on the map where their house is located.

16. In Iceland, if a person is well disposed towards you, he demonstrates this by touching you every now and then.

17. There are an order of magnitude more blondes in Iceland than brunettes, so local residents like to dye their hair a darker shade.

18. In order to spend the night with an Icelandic girl, long courtship is not required, most Icelandic women are, as they say, easy going, including why Italians and Spaniards love to come to Reykjavik so much.

19. Icelanders are very tolerant, a gay parade is regularly held in Reykjavik, homosexual marriages have been allowed here since 2010, and the percentage of bisexuals in the country is very high.

20. The most popular professions in Iceland are artist, musician or designer. Every second bartender or waiter tries to get an education in a creative specialty, and at the same time plays in some kind of rock or folk band.

21. For the reason described above, no one uses the services of designers, for example, in order to come up with the design of an apartment or a wedding dress. The inhabitants of Iceland are sure that each of them is an artist himself, therefore they prefer to invent the interior of the apartment and the design of the dress on their own.

22. Repairs in apartments are also done mainly with their own hands, without hiring workers.

23. Icelanders are crazy about Eurovision, they take the competition of young performers very seriously here, and during the live broadcast the whole country is watching what is happening on TV.

24. There are no McDonald's restaurants in Iceland, the latter closed in 2008 during the crisis.

25. The most popular names in Iceland: male - Jon and female - Guvrun. Also, ancient mythological names are still common, for example, aðalsteinn, which means "main stone".

26. Icelanders, like Russians, like to use in everyday life not full, but abbreviated versions of names, so David in the diminutive Icelandic version will be Dabby, Guvrun - Gunna, Stefan - Steppi, Jon - Nonnie, etc.

27. The language of Iceland has not changed much over the past 1000 years, so there are letters in it that have disappeared from English, plus the inhabitants of the country can read the old Viking sagas in the original without any problems.

28. The local population generally loves to read, today, according to some sources, Icelanders are the most reading people in the world.

29. The price of wine in Iceland is often determined not by the year of its production or quality, but by the strength. Thus, an expensive but light French wine can cost many times less than a 15-degree chatter.

30. Not in Iceland armed forces, their functions are performed to some extent by the Coast Guard.

31. The police in Iceland do not carry weapons, they are not given pistols.

32. Residents of Reykjavik for the most part terribly park, they can throw the car right across the street. The presence of tow trucks and fines for parking in the wrong place do little to help.

33. Icelanders try to use only renewable energy sources, gas and gasoline are used here only to fuel cars and boats, and this is because electric cars have not taken root in the country.

34. You don’t need to pay for water in restaurants and cafes, it is still poured from a water tap. This is water from local thermal springs, and therefore it is absolutely drinkable.

35. Hot tap water in Iceland smells like rotten eggs. The fact is that it also enters the water supply system directly from hot thermal springs, and they are rich in hydrogen sulfide.

36. Taking hot thermal baths is a popular option for evening leisure in Reykjavik, the cost of visiting with a subscription is about 5 euros.

37. In the houses of Iceland, as in Russia, there is a central heating system, which distinguishes the country from Italy or France, where you have to pay for each inclusion of the heater.

38. Until the seventies of the twentieth century, Icelandic law allowed the inhabitants of the country to kill Turks with impunity. This is because in the past, Turkish pirates often plundered Icelandic ships and coastal villages.

39. To this day, Icelandic law allows the inhabitants of the country to kill polar bears for food.

40. In Iceland, licorice is very popular, it is added to any dishes, plus chocolates with licorice filling are produced here.

41. National dish of Iceland - haukarl - cut into small pieces rotten meat of the Greenland shark. If you do not chew it and just swallow it, it is still quite edible, but if you chew the meat, you will feel the “magic” taste of urea. The fact is that the Greenland shark does not have a urinary tract and its meat contains poisonous ammonia. In order for the meat to be eaten, it is left to rot for three months underground or in the basement. The creators of The Simpsons sneered at the taste of this dish, among other things, in one of the episodes of the animated series.

42. In Iceland, they eat mainly fish, while all dishes are poured over the top with mayonnaise, mustard and ketchup, after which the real taste of fish may not be recognized.

43. Most Icelanders have very bad teeth, while Iceland is one of the main sugar-consuming countries, and Coca-Cola is also very popular here.

44. Most Icelanders still believe in elves and trolls, which leads to difficulties in building a house or road. Before construction begins, local “witches” are consulted here to see if it is possible to move this or that stone, or whether an elf lives under it. Sometimes, in order not to “offend” the elf and move the stone, the Icelanders have to perform magical rites, for example, keep the stone in honey for some time.

45. 2148 people in Iceland adhere to the pagan teachings of the Ásatrú Association, which is based on the revival of Icelandic and Norwegian pagan beliefs. This religion is officially accepted, and its ministers can perform a wedding ceremony, which is equivalent to the traditional registration of marriage.

46. ​​In addition to the well-known Santa Claus in Iceland, there are 15 Santa Clauses of different types, by and large they are all elves, in which the locals believe.

47. Every major store in Reykjavik has a playground.

48. All Icelanders wear lopapeysa - a knitted jacket made of sheep's wool with a characteristic national pattern. We can say that this is the very example of a national costume that has not disappeared over time.

49. Icelanders are proud to have the oldest undisbanded parliament in the world, it is called Alþingi and was founded in 930.

50. Residents of Iceland are very trusting, when applying for a job, they do not ask a foreigner for recommendations from a previous job, but simply take the newcomer's word for it.

51. In the Icelandic Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, the so-called "necropants" made from the skin of the lower body of a dead man are on display. To get them, the Icelandic sorcerer had to obtain the consent of a person during his lifetime, and after death, dig up the body from the grave and tear off the skin in one piece. Then the ritual demanded to steal a coin from the widow and put the necropants in the scrotum along with a special sign drawn on a piece of paper. It was believed that wearing such pants would allow you to get rich quickly.

52. Every citizen of Iceland has access to the Íslendingabók website, a genealogical database containing information on family ties of all Icelanders since the 18th century. The task of compiling such a database could be solved thanks to the not very large population of the state (just over 300 thousand) and the fact that Iceland throughout its history was weakly influenced by both emigration and immigration. Many young people use this site to check if their new lover is a cousin or cousin to rule out the possibility of incest. Another popular use of the site is to check the degree of your relationship with famous personalities. For example, every Icelander can find out how many generations he is related to Björk.

53. The most famous representatives of Icelandic folklore are the Huldufolk, or hidden people, who are often identified with elves. These creatures are believed to hide in the mountains, although some Icelanders build small houses for them in their gardens and even small churches to convert the elves to Christianity. Sometimes in Iceland, building or utility plans are changed to avoid disturbing the supposed habitats of the elves, and in 2004 Alcoa even had to get a certificate from a government expert that the site chosen for the construction of an aluminum smelter was free from hidden people. Polls show that the number of Icelanders who admit or are sure of its existence is greater than those who doubt or completely deny the elves.

54. Iceland is predominantly coastal and people travel around the country mainly along the coast. Historically, Icelanders refer to the northwest edge of the island as west, the northeast edge as north, the east edge as east, and the Reykjavík area as south. Therefore, linguistic incidents are possible: heading from the northwestern outskirts towards the northeastern outskirts, the Icelander says that he is going “to the north”, although in fact he is moving east, and heading from the southwestern outskirts towards Reykjavik, i.e. in fact north, the Icelander says he is going "south".

55. Prior to the 1990s, there was a law in Iceland whereby a foreigner wishing to acquire Icelandic citizenship had to adopt an Icelandic name or change his own according to the traditions of the Icelandic language. But there were exceptions for celebrities. When the Soviet conductor and pianist Vladimir Ashkenazi emigrated to Iceland, the country's government added a new one to the official list of permitted names - "Vladimir Ashkenazy".

56. In the Scandinavian countries, dishes from rotten or fermented fish are common. For example, the Icelandic dish hakarl is made from rotten shark meat, and the Swedish surströmming is made from sour herring.

57. Most of the inhabitants of Iceland do not have a surname familiar to us, but are designated by their first and patronymic names. For example, Magnus Karlsson is Magnus, Karl's son, and Anna Karlsdottir is Anna, Karl's daughter.

59. The countries of Scandinavia (Norway and Iceland) have the highest birth rate in Europe among the indigenous, and not the alien population. The Scandinavians initially relied on improving the quality of life of the child, and not on increasing the number of births.

60. Waterfall Dehtifoss (Detifoss), located in Iceland, is considered the most powerful waterfall Europe: it discharges about 500 m³ of water per second. Spray from it is visible at a distance of a kilometer, and in sunny weather, the waterfall is certainly decorated with a rainbow.

62. For a long time, negotiations between representatives of the Scandinavian countries were conducted “in Scandinavian” (in Swedish, Norwegian or Danish), but in last years Scandinavian languages ​​began to be replaced more often by English at the request of the representatives of Finland and Iceland

63. The largest glacier in Europe, Vatna-Yokul (“glacier that provides water”, 8.5 thousand square kilometers, which is equal to the area of ​​\u200b\u200ball glaciers of the European subcontinent) is located in the southeast of the country.

64. According to European Union statistics, more than 25% of the energy consumed by Scandinavians comes from renewable sources. For comparison, we note that for other European countries this figure is, on average, only six percent.

65. According to experts, health care is financed most of all by Iceland, Germany and Norway - more than 9% of the state budget.

66 Reykjavik is the northernmost metropolis in the world (64 N), founded in 874. Reykjavik got its name from the eruption of geothermal vapors from geothermal springs, and literally it means "Smoky Bay".

67. The widest "boiling" river in the world is Deidartunguver north of Reykjavik. The water consumption in these cascades of boiling water, gushing from hot springs, is 225 liters. per second.

68. The longest-lived creature on Earth was found off the coast of Iceland. They turned out to be a clam. Scientists counted the number of rings on its shell and found that the age of the creature is 405-410 years.

69. The territory of Iceland covers 103,300 square meters. km, of which glaciers cover 11,000 sq. km, and lakes - 2,700 sq. km. The country is rich in forests, extending over an area of ​​about

1,511 sq. km. Most big lake in the country is called Dingvallavatn, and the highest peak is Hvannadalshnukur.70. More than 300,000 people live in the country, of which about 150,000 live in the capital. Part of the population settled along the coastal regions. Many interior regions of the country are not suitable for living. The average life expectancy of Icelanders is 80 years.

71. As there are many volcanoes in Iceland, 30 of which have erupted in the last two hundred years, they are used to generate geothermal energy. The rivers flowing through the country provide it with hydroelectric energy. Since there are many rivers hot water, the country receives heating that does not pollute the environment.

72. The Scandinavians settled in Iceland at the beginning of the 9th century. The founder of the capital is the Norwegian Viking Ingólfur Arnarson. Thus, people here use the Viking language, which has been perfected by many civilizations. The inhabitants of the island bear the names of the father, not the surnames. Consequently, members of the same family have different surnames, which can confuse foreigners.

73. Icelanders are enjoying the heritage of antiquity, having made some modern changes to them. They live in perfect harmony. There are many artists in the country who are specialists in the art of singing and composing.

74. At different times of the year, many colorful festivals are held here, and thematic exhibitions are often organized. The country has a great culinary tradition, where seafood delicacies occupy an important place.75. Iceland is one of the first countries in the world to have a republican government. Now the country is governed by a parliament called Althing (Althing), it consists of 63 members. These members are elected every four years. The head of state has no influence on the politics of the country.

76. The country's economy is heavily dependent on fishing. Most people in the country work in the fishing industry and other related businesses. The current government is focusing on the tourism industry, in addition, the second largest industry, close in importance to the fishing industry, is the export industry. The main part of the country's income comes from the export of seafood.

77. Iceland is a recognized member of the European Economic Area (EEA) and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).78. Many activities on the island attract more and more tourists. These include whale watching, bird watching, hiking, horseback riding, skiing, cycling, fishing, kayaking and excursions to glaciers.

79. Less than one percent of the world's population will be able to pronounce the word Eyyafyatlayukutl. This is the most famous Icelandic volcano. Of the several thousand people surveyed, only 0.005% managed to pronounce this word.

80. Since July 1, 2010 striptease has been banned in Iceland. To date, this is the only European country where this type of dance is prohibited.81. Despite the strong physical condition of the majority of the population, the most common sport in the country is chess. In 1931, the parliament was dissolved for the holidays due to the arrival of the famous Russian chess player Alexei Alekhin.

82. Today, more than 11% of Iceland is covered by glaciers. The parliament in Iceland has been operating since the tenth century, namely from 930, and is considered the oldest working parliament in the world. It operates even today.

83. Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, is the most northern capital planet Earth. Back in the ninth century, the first settler of the island built a farm on the site of the capital, from which the country began to grow in all directions. His name was Ingolf Arnarson. Translated from the ancient Celtic language, Reykjavik is read as “Smoking Bay”.84. In 1963 new island Surtsey appeared in the ocean off the southern coast of Iceland as a result of a volcanic eruption.

86. Iceland is the most big Island volcanic origin.

87. Scandinavians settled in Iceland at the beginning of the 9th century. The first settler is the Norwegian Viking Ingólfur Arnarsson.

88. Iceland publishes 4 times as many books per capita as the US.

89. Iceland has a special phallological museum that displays 150 penises from more than 40 species of mammals, as well as a collection of related items. So far, there is no human phallus in the exposition, but the curator of the museum has already secured consent to receive this exhibit after the death of one eighty-year-old farmer, who is still in the “sexual” ranks.

90. The central part of the island in winter is so harsh and so similar to the lunar landscape that NASA worked out with its astronauts an exit to the surface of the moon in Central Iceland.

91. Vigdis Finnbogadottir is the first female president in Europe and the second in the world. Icelanders are very proud of this fact. She was elected in 1980 and served four terms as president until 1996.

92. The area of ​​the country is 7 times larger than the area of ​​the Moscow region.

93. Cod is depicted on the 1 ISK coin, herring is depicted on 10 kroner, crab is depicted on 50 kroner, and sea bass is depicted on 100 kroner. The Icelandic currency is called isk for short.

94. There are no trees in Iceland. Rather, there are individual trees and artificial plantings, but there are no dense forests. The first Icelandic settlers are to blame for this. When the field was depleted, they burned new site forests and sow barley on it. Gradually, the forests on the island disappeared, and today soil erosion is one of the main problems of the country.

95. Icelanders are very proud of their language, and in every possible way oppose the pernicious, as it seems to them, influence on Icelandic of other languages. There is even a special language commission, the main purpose of which is to protect Icelandic from the penetration of foreign words. When a foreign concept or definition comes into use in a country, the commission specially invents or finds an Icelandic equivalent for it.

96. There are few cats in Iceland.

97. There are no railways in Iceland. It is preferable to travel on the usual roads of Iceland in a 4x4 jeep. Optimally - on a superjeep with huge, more than a meter, wheels.

The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy is made -

Iceland - small state on the same island. Despite the fact that Iceland is located far to the north, the industrious descendants of the Vikings managed to recreate real corner heaven on earth. Iceland has been one of the top countries in the list of countries with the most high level life. The harsh northern nature, the friendliness of the native Icelanders, incredible beauty landscapes - all this is undoubtedly worth it to visit these lands at least once.

1. The territory of Iceland due to severe weather conditions was inhabited by one of the last on Earth - people came to this region only in the 9th century AD.
2. The capital of Iceland, Reykjavik is the northernmost capital in the world.
3. Iceland consistently ranks among the ten most prosperous countries in the world.
4. Icelanders seriously believe in the existence of trolls and elves - for example, before the start of design new road builders consult folklore experts so as not to accidentally invade the domain of these fantastic creatures.
5. Icelanders often build small churches in their gardens, hoping to convert the small Huldufolk people, who, according to legend, hide in the local mountains, to Christianity.
6. The Icelandic parliament is the oldest working one in the world, it was first formed back in 930.
7. Icelandic cuisine is widely known for its unusual dishes - for example, Icelanders eat slightly rotten shark meat (hakarl), as well as sheep thighs soaked in lactic acid.
8. For some unknown reason, it is not allowed to import horses into Iceland. If the horse is taken out of the country, it cannot be returned back either.
9. Iceland does not have its own armed forces, and coast guards and police officers are not issued firearms.
10. Hot and cold water supply for Icelandic homes is provided by local springs and geysers. Their water is so pure that it is drinkable without additional filtration.
11. The inhabitants of Iceland have patronymics, but no surnames. The name for the newborn is chosen from a special register. If the desired name is not there, you need to contact the authorities and coordinate this issue with them.
12. Not in Iceland railways. Yes, none at all.
13. There are practically no borrowings in the Icelandic language, thanks to which it has been preserved unchanged for more than a thousand years. It will not be a problem for an Icelander to read a book published several centuries ago.
14. The common belief that Iceland is very cold is not true - for example, in January, the average air temperature is -0.4 degrees.
15. Modest in size, Iceland thanks to its natural resources could provide energy to all of Europe (see).
16. Until May 1, 1989, the inhabitants of Iceland were prohibited from selling and drinking beer. Now the day of lifting the ban is almost a national holiday.
17. Iceland is the world leader in non-fiction sales.
18. Almost all the inhabitants of Iceland (90%) have access to the Internet - even the United States cannot boast of such a prevalence of the network.
19. There are no mosquitoes in Iceland.
20. The Icelandic waterfall Dettifoss, with a width of 100 meters and a height of 40 meters, is the most powerful in Europe (see).
21. There are 130 volcanoes on the territory of Iceland, almost half of which have erupted in the last 1000 years (see).
22. Iceland is the only European country where striptease is prohibited by law. The ban was introduced in 2010.
23. The Latrabjarg cliffs in Iceland are not only the westernmost point of Europe, but also the world's largest bird habitat.
24. Iceland has the largest glacier on Earth (not counting those that cover the poles) with the unpronounceable name Vatanjökull.
25. Icelanders go to the cinema more than any other country in the world.
26. Iceland has the highest number of children (65%) born out of wedlock in the world.

For most of us, Iceland is associated with the singer Björk, who was born in this distant land, as well as with the Vikings and snow. But in Iceland, it turns out, there is amazing nature with geysers, volcanoes, glaciers and waterfalls. The nature of Iceland is a source of inspiration for many photographers and artists. No matter when you visit Iceland (summer or winter), Icelanders will always welcome you very hospitably.

Geography of Iceland

Iceland is located northwest of Great Britain in the northern part Atlantic Ocean, where it meets the North the arctic ocean. Iceland is an island. The total territory of Iceland is, together with all the islands, 103,000 sq. km.

14.3% of Iceland's territory is occupied by lakes and glaciers. Only 23% of the territory of Iceland has vegetation that corresponds to the geographical location of this state. Most big lakes in Iceland, Þingvallavatn, Lagarfljót and Mývatn.

Iceland has several volcanoes, some of which are active. Now the most famous Icelandic volcano is Eyjafjallajokull, due to the eruption of which in 2010 air traffic was paralyzed throughout Europe.

The most high peak Iceland - the peak of Hvannadalshnukur, whose height reaches 2109 meters.

Capital

The capital of Iceland is Reykjavik, which is now home to more than 125 thousand people. Historians believe that a human settlement on the territory of modern Reykjavik existed already in the 9th century.

Official language

The official language in Iceland is Icelandic, which is a Scandinavian language.

Religion

More than 77% of Icelanders are Lutherans (Protestants) belonging to the Church of Iceland. About 10% of the inhabitants of Iceland are Catholics.

State structure

According to the constitution, Iceland is a parliamentary republic, headed by the President, who is elected by direct universal suffrage for a term of 4 years.

Legislative power belongs to the unicameral Parliament - Althingi, consisting of 63 deputies.

The main political parties in Iceland are the Social Democratic Alliance, the Independence Party, the Green Left and the Progressive Party.

Climate and weather

The climate in Iceland is subarctic maritime, the same as, for example, in Alaska. The warm Gulf Stream has a decisive influence on the Icelandic climate. On south coast Iceland's climate is noticeably milder than on the north coast. The average annual air temperature in Iceland is +5C, and the average annual rainfall is 779 mm.

The tallest average temperature air in Iceland is observed in July and August - + 14C.

Average air temperature in Reykjavik:

• January - 0C
• February - +0.5С
• March - +1.5С
• April - +4С
• May - +7C
• June - +10С
• July - +11.5C
• August - +11C
• september - +8С
• october - +5C
• November - +2C
• December - 0C

Sea in Iceland

In the north, Iceland is washed by the Greenland Sea, in the northwest the Danish Strait separates this country from Greenland, and in the east is the Norwegian Sea.

Rivers and lakes

About 14.3% of Iceland is occupied by glaciers and lakes. The largest lakes are Þingvallavatn, Lagarfljót and Mývatn.

There are many rivers in Iceland, most of them originate in glaciers. Among the longest Icelandic rivers are Tjoursau (230 km) in the south of the country and Jökulsau au Fjödlum in the northeast.

There are a lot of salmon in Icelandic rivers, and trout in lakes.

Story

Iceland was settled by the Norwegian Vikings in the 9th century. The first settlement on the site of modern Reykjavik was founded in 874 by Ingolf Arnason.

In 1262, Iceland fell under the rule of Norway. Around the middle of the 16th century, Lutheranism began to spread in Iceland. Subsequently, this country became completely Lutheran.

In 1814 Spain became part of Denmark. In the middle of the 19th century, a movement developed in Iceland that fought for the independence of this country (by peaceful means). As a result, in 1918 Denmark recognized the independence of Iceland. Thus the Kingdom of Iceland was proclaimed, having a union with Denmark. In June 1944, Iceland was recognized as an independent republic.

In 1946, Iceland was admitted to the UN, and in 1949 it became a member of the NATO military bloc.

Culture of Iceland

The origins of Icelandic culture go back to Norwegian traditions. This is due to the fact that it was the Norwegian Vikings who first settled Iceland.

In Iceland, some Viking traditions are still preserved. So, at the end of January, Icelanders celebrate Men's Day (Bóndadagur). On this day, Icelandic men used to jump around their house while singing songs loudly. In this way they tried to appease the harsh January weather. Now, few Icelanders jump around their house on Men's Day, but on this day, women give them various gifts and flowers.

At the end of February, Iceland celebrates Women's Day (Konudagur). On this day, Icelandic men bring coffee to their women in bed in the morning and give them flowers.

Icelandic Cuisine

The main products of Icelandic cuisine are fish, meat, vegetables, dairy products, and cheese. We advise tourists in Iceland to try the following traditional local dishes:

• Hangikjöt - smoked lamb;
• Harðfiskur - dried fish;
• Saltkjöt - salted lamb;
• Bjúgu - smoked sausage;
• Þorramatur - marinated meat or fish (including shark meat);
• Lax is a salmon dish.

Skyr, a traditional Icelandic soft drink made from sour milk, resembles yogurt.

As for alcoholic drinks in Iceland, the inhabitants of this country prefer beer and local potato vodka with cumin Brennivín.

Landmarks of Iceland

Even though Iceland is a very small country, it has a lot interesting places for tourists. The top ten Icelandic attractions in our opinion include the following:

Cities and resorts

The largest Icelandic cities are Hafnarfjordur, Akureyri, Kopavogur, and, of course, Reykjavik.

Iceland has a lot of geysers and lakes that have healing properties. Therefore, it is not surprising that this country has several geothermal resorts. The most famous of them is located on the Blue Lagoon Lake.

Souvenirs/Shopping

What is interesting and famous Iceland? 9 facts about the country that cause bewilderment, admiration, surprise and sometimes baffle.

Despite the harsh northern climate, remoteness and by no means cheap services, Iceland is a popular tourist destination. Even experienced travelers who have traveled half the world say that a holiday in Iceland is the most exciting experience they have experienced in their lives, and you rarely see something like this anywhere else.

So, what is the most interesting thing about Iceland?

Reykjavik looks like a provincial town, but it is the capital of the "Ice Country"

1. Names of cities, streets and main attractions. Don't try to remember them. All that will remain in memory is Reykjavik and its main shopping street Laugavegur. Words such as "Hatlgrimskirkja" (a skyscraper with a view of the whole city from the top) will have to be written down. The names of glaciers, volcanoes and waterfalls are also hard to pronounce.

2. Wherever you go, there will be waterfalls everywhere. Driving through the fjords, you gradually get used to the fact that here it is an ordinary landscape. The highest waterfall is Glymur, but there are more on the island beautiful waterfalls, for example, "Hroynfossar" near the city of Borgarnes or a huge cascade of waterfalls "Dynjandi". It is difficult to list even the most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland, there are so many of them.

Most a large number of tourists in Iceland are concentrated in the south (the route is called the "Golden Circle"). This is partly due to the proximity to the capital and the fact that there are a large number of waterfalls.

Don't forget you may need a raincoat to keep you dry. At an air temperature of +13 (even at the height of summer), water splashes are not a very pleasant thing.

3. If you come to Iceland in July, then another unforgettable sight is in store for you: the whole country is covered with purple lupine flowers, among which herds of sheep and horses roam freely.

4. The northern sun is very insidious and shines constantly in summer. Therefore, despite the cool weather, in Iceland you need sunscreen. The main piece of clothing is not a jacket, as you might think, but a swimsuit, because hot tubs are everywhere.

5. What is Iceland famous for in the first place? , which impresses not only with water of amazing color, but also with the number of people who want to visit it.

Despite the fact that the lagoon is called a "trap for tourists", swimming in it will be remembered for a long time. Although it will be, rather, not “bathing”, but soaking, since the depth of the lagoon is not more than 1.6 m. Admission ticket costs from 35 to 165 euros, depending on the chosen procedures. A similar geothermal source in the north of the country in Myvatn is no worse.

What is interesting about Iceland? First of all, waterfalls!

6. In the western part of the island it seems that you are on the lid of a boiling cauldron. Hot springs spring from underground, and steam spreads around. In the north there is a place called "Hverir" where all this seething smells of sulfur and there is no vegetation. No wonder the crater of the volcano located nearby is called "Viti", which means "hell" in Icelandic.

The crater itself looks very peaceful and has long been filled with turquoise water, but the surrounding landscape bears little resemblance to the landscape of planet Earth.

7. Unusual black sand beaches and basalt rocks in the form of pillars.

8. Another miracle of Iceland - dark tunnels several kilometers long. If a car is moving towards you, flash your headlights and drive off to one of the marked safe zones.

Don't forget that in Iceland you will need a raincoat to keep you dry. At an air temperature of +13, water splashes are not a very pleasant thing.

9. It would seem Iceland and diving are incompatible concepts. However, in national park Thingvellir offers to put on a warm wetsuit and explore the fault between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates with a mask and snorkel. Entertainment is not for the faint of heart, because after half an hour of being in ice water it seems that the nose is already frozen.

The largest number of tourists in Iceland is concentrated in the south (the route is called the "Golden Circle"). This is partly due to the proximity to the capital and the fact that there are a large number of waterfalls.