Grundarfjörður is a small fishing town situated in the western part of Iceland. It’s located on Snæfellsnes peninsula, often called “Iceland in a nutshell” because you can find here almost everything that Iceland has to offer. Snæfellsnes is well known for really marvelous nature wonders and there are plenty of them here. When you are travelling in this area, you should definitely visit Grundarfjörður. It’s a typical Icelandic town – little, with sleepy atmosphere and surrounded by magical scenery. You can see small houses around and how it often is in Iceland, there are not many of them. There is also a little church and truly amazing, almost idyllic views.
What’s significant for Grundarfjörður, is a presence of a mountain-icon, Kirkjufell. It’s this kind of a mountain that is simply unforgettable. Kirkjufell is not only a queen of Grundarfjörður and Snæfellsnes but the most popular Icelandic mountain. Its image is everywhere. In brochures, guidebooks, on postcards. Even if you don’t know its name, you must have come across it somewhere before. You can see Kirkjufell’s peak from every point in the town. It literally reigns over Grundarfjörður. Very steep, monumental, hypnotizing. One of a kind.
Kirjku means church and fell means mountain, so we are talking about Church Mountain. That’s true – it resembles a tapered gothic cathedral or Hallgrímskirkja from Reykjavík. It may sound like a well-worn cliché, but when you see this respectful mountain, you feel so small and fragile. This is a real power of nature.
And how is it to live in such a majestic company? How is it to see Kirkjufell every single day? From the morning coffee till falling asleep. All the time. It must be something, that’s for sure! We spent five days in Grundarfjörður hanging around its magnificent surroundings. We planned to stay just for one night, but this place is so captivating, we simply couldn’t leave. Every evening ended with the same statement: “Let’s stay one more day!” Maybe it was because of Kirkjufell, maybe because of countless locations for taking pictures, and maybe because of this very special atmosphere, almost unreal, like in the best crime novels. We can’t help it, we are addicted to this kind of places.
Bite of tips:
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And now something for daredevils: you can climb Kirkjufell! We heard it’s not so easy-peasy, but it’s not impossible too. The views from the top must be absolutely breathtaking.
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You can feel the power of Kirkjufell also walking around. This is an extraordinary stroll, as you can admire gorgeous landscape.
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Apart from Kirkjufell, there are lots of really outstanding waterfalls in the area.
We wish you memorable time in Grundarfjörður!