English

Dalvíkurbyggð is great place to live in for those who want first hand experience with
nature in their normal day life. Here we have a lot of blossoming industries and
different opportunities work wise and apart from the place being as great as it is geographically it is the habitants that make the place as charming as it really is!

Here you will find some basic information in English, for example short cuts
to our most common searches.
If you are here for information on what to do in Dalvíkurbyggð - please read below.

Opening hours and phone numbers
Applications and forms
Price lists
Employees
Elected representatives
Available jobs
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Mín Dalvíkurbyggð 

What to do in Dalvíkurbyggð

Information center – The Information center is located at the library in Berg cultural house. There you can find information about the area, all year around. info@dalvikurbyggd.is

Campsite – There are three campsites in Dalvíkurbyggð; At Dalvík near the swimming pool, at Húsabakki in Svarfaðardal and at Hauganes in Árskógsströnd. 

Swimming pool – The swimming pool in Dalvík is at the sport center. It has a beautiful view over Svarfaðardalur. Beside the swimming pool, you will also find hot tubs, children pool, waterslide and sauna. In the sport center you will also find a well equipped gym.

Ferries – The ferries to Hrísey and Grímsey depart from Dalvíkurbyggð.
The ferry Sæfari sails to Grímsey from Dalvík. For further information visit https://www.samskip.is/innanlandsflutningur/saefari/.
The ferry Sævar sails to Hrísey from Árskógssandur.  For further information visit https://www.samskip.is/innanlandsflutningur/saefari/

The bus – The bus, or Strætó, drives through Dalvíkurbyggð all year around, making it easy for travelers to come for a visit. For further information visit https://www.straeto.is/is/timatoflur/4/40

Hvoll folk museum – The Hvoll folk museum is an educating and entertaining museum at the heart of Dalvík. The museum is built upon artifacts from local households in Dalvík, Svarfaðardalur and surroundings. It contains a large nature museum with over 100 stuffed birds (Taxidermy), not to mention the Polar bear. You should also become acquainted with the exhibit of Kristján Eldjárn, former president of Iceland who was a local, and Jóhann Svarfdælingur once the tallest man in the world.  www.dalvikurbyggd.is/hvoll

Berg cultural house – Berg Cultural house is located at the heart of Dalvík. The Information center, the public library and a coffee house are located in Berg. There you can also listen to concerts, go to exhibitions, attend meetings and conferences. www.bergmenningarhus.is

The Library – The Library of Dalvíkurbyggð is in Berg cultural house. The information center is located at the Library.  It is a public library that everyone is welcome to visit, find reading material or just to sit down and have a relaxing time. The staff is engaged in making the library a lively place with good vibrations. www.dalvikurbyggd.is/bokasafn

The Great Fish Day – The Great Fish day is an annual festival in Dalvíkurbyggð, held the first or the second Saturday in August. Fish producers and other members of the society invite guests to a sea food buffet between 11:00 and 17:00 at the harbor in Dalvík. The aim of the festival is to get everybody together, have fun and eat fish. Every year there is a versatile menu with new dishes on offer alongside the traditional ones. While tasting the free fish guests can enjoy various entertainments at the harbor. The day leads up to a large outdoor concert during the evening and some fireworks. At the Friday night, when the lights are low, look for a lighted torch because at that night locals open up their gardens offering guests to come and have a taste of different kind of fish soup. So, look out for a lighted torch. www.fiskidagurinnmikli.is

The trolls in the mountains – Dalvíkurbyggð lies at the troll like mountain range of Tröllaskaginn, the largest mountain range in Iceland, drawing its name from the troll like environment. So, no wonder we have many stories about trolls such as the one living in the mountain Stóllinn (The Chair) in Svarfaðardalur or the ones in Ólafsfjarðarmúli, the old road between Dalvík and Ólafsfjörður. So, if you keep an open mind for a different view you might even see one!

The Brothers from Bakki– The Brothers from Bakki named Gísli, Eiríkur and Helgi are infamous for their stupidity, but the story says they lived at the farm of Bakki in Svarfaðardalur.   An example of their stupidity is when they built a house with no windows and then tried to carry the sunlight into the house in their hats. Or when they were bathing in an outdoor geothermal pool they mixed up their legs so no one knew which legs belonged to whom. Travelers can walk up to the small geothermal pool that is located in Svarfaðardalur and called Fótlaug Bakkabræðra.

The Nature Reserve of Friðland Svarfdæla – The nature reserve of Friðland Svarfdæla is an 8 km2 wetland on both sides of Svarfaðardalsá, from the sea and up to Húsabakki in Svarfaðardalur. The area has been a nature reserve since 1972 and is the oldest of its kind in Iceland. The nature reserve is the home and nesting place of over 30 bird species which makes the area perfect for bird watching. The area has marked paths, information about birds, flora and fauna, bird watching houses and bridges for easy access. You can enter the area from Húsabakki in Svarfaðardalur or from Hrísatjörn near Dalvík. Going from Húsabakki travelers can walk through the nature reserve down to the river Svarfaðardalsá, cross it on a walking bridge and enter the small forest of Hánefsstaðareitur. The forest has paths and places to sit down for a picnic. And, if you listen very carefully, you might even hear a blackbird singing in the dead of night.

The Nature Reserve, Fólkvangurinn – The Nature Reserve Fólkvangurinn lies above Dalvík and is a versatile outdoor area with a skiing area, forestry, berries, mushrooms and paths. The small forest Böggur has an outdoor grill, benches and area for picnicking.

The Black beach Sand – The Sand lies near Dalvík and is a part of the Nature Reserve of Friðland Svarfdæla. The area is a popular outdoor area and the locals use it for walking. It takes about a half an hour to walk from the parking lot to the river mouth of Svarfaðardalsá River, where it runs into the sea through the beach, and back to the parking lot again.

Sea swimming and hot tubs – At Hauganes you can go swimming in the Atlantic Ocean. Down by the harbor at Hauganes you will find facilities for changing clothes before plunging into the sea. Afterwards you can warm up in two outdoor hot tubs.

The midnight sun – It is very easy to find spots in Dalvíkurbyggð to enjoy the midnight sun, such as from the Sandurinn (the black sand beach). Ólafsfjarðarmúli is probably the best one though. Beside the mouth of the tunnel, lying through the mountain, is a spacious parking lot, ideal for watching the midnight sun. In a good weather, if you look up ahead in the distance, it is possible to see all the way to Grímsey from this spot. It is also a possibility to walk the old road that lies through Ólafsfjarðarmúli, up to a so called Plan and watch the midnight sun from there.  

Northern lights - The Northern lights can be seen in many places in Dalvíkurbyggð, the best ones are probably where there is little artificial light such as in Svarfaðardalur and in Árskógsströnd.

Hiking trails - There are several hiking trails in Dalvíkurbyggð. The municipality lies on the Troll Peninsula  (Tröllaskagi), one of the most extraordinary mountain scenarios in Iceland, with several peaks reaching over 1200m above sea level, some over 1400m. It is the part of Iceland with the highest elevation outside the central highlands. The glaciers have forged the landscape for centuries, leaving behind more than just the troll like mountains but also mountain passes, grassy valleys, small glaciers and mountain lakes. The tranquility, power and magic leave no one untouched for it leaves a feeling of being alone in the wilderness, far away from the human touch with the power of the earth below us and above us only sky.

Therefore, the landscape is perfect for hiking, both for experienced hikers and those wishing for more easy routes. The Information center has a map showing 10 easy routes with a starting point near Dalvík and sells a map for those wishing for a more challenge.

We urge everybody to choose a fitting hiking trail, seek advice from the Information center about the route, let somebody know where you are heading and always, always travel with great caution.

Please travel through our nature with respect and take all litter with you home for a disposal.
Otherwise you might disturb the elves…

The recreation in the area is versatile and easy to find some entertainment all year around. In the fall we have sheep and horse herding, an Icelandic tradition, as well as berry picking but the municipality has some excellent berry picking places. Over the wintertime going skiing in the skiing area of Böggvistaðafjall is always popular, as well as cross country skiing and later in the winter off piste skiing and heli-skiing. Almost all year around whale watching is available from two locations, Dalvík and Hauganes and you can also go horseback riding.  Birdwatching is popular in the springtime and nurturing to watch the nature come to life after the long winter. Over the summertime whale watching, horseback riding, golfing and hiking is available. All year around you can visit the Beer baths in Árskógssandur, try out the outdoor hot tubs in Hauganes, go swimming and enjoy the cultural life. Coffee houses and restaurants are open all year around. In Dalvíkurbyggð every day is a beautiful day, don´t let it get away, for Iceland is truly the land of the ice and snow, from the midnight sun where the hot springs flow...

...and Dalvíkurbyggð is spectacular every season!