Ísafjörður
Encyclopedia
Ísafjörður is a town in the north west of Iceland, seat of Ísafjarðarbær
municipality.
The town draws its name from the fjord and the fjord was given its name simultaneously to the island. With a population of about 2,600 Ísafjörður is the largest town in the peninsula of Vestfirðir (Westfjords
) and the seat of the Ísafjarðarbær municipality, which includes the nearby Hnífsdalur, Flateyri
, Suðureyri, and Þingeyri
. It is located on a spit of sand, or eyri, in the Skutulsfjörður fjord which meets the waters of the larger Isafjarðardjúp fjord.
to Bolungarvík
which lies 15 km to the northwest, and to the small town of Súðavík
to the east. The partly one-lane Vestfjarðagöng (Vestfirðir Tunnel)
, completed in 1996, leads to the small towns of Flateyri
and Suðureyri, and to the western parts of the Westfjords. Ísafjörður has an airport
with regular flights to Reykjavík
.
Fishing has been the main industry in Ísafjörður, and the town has one of the largest fisheries in Iceland. A severe decline in the fishing industry, for a variety of reasons such as political fishing restrictions in the early 80s and a decline in the fish population, has led the inhabitants to seek work elsewhere, leading to a decline in the town's population. The harbor also serves ferries to nearby settlements as well as larger cruise ships for tourists visiting the area.
Despite its size, small population, and historical isolation from the rest of the country, the town has a rather urban atmosphere. Ísafjörður has a school of music as well as a hospital. The older former hospital building now accommodates a cultural center with a library and showrooms. Recently the small town has become known in the country as a center for alternative music outside of Iceland, and a yearly festival, Aldrei fór ég suður, provides a platform for local musicians and bands from around Iceland and even from overseas. A university center, Háskólasetur Vestfjarða, which acts as a distance learning center for the 7000 residents of the Westfjords, was established in March 2005.
In Ísafjörður is the only FE college of the Westfjords, Menntaskólinn á Ísafirði. The students are from 16 to 20 years of age, as is traditional in Icelandic colleges.
(the book of settlement), Skutulsfjördur was first settled by Helgi Magri Hrólfsson in the 9th century. In the 16th century the town grew as it became a trading post for foreign merchants. Witch trials were common around the same time throughout the Westfjords, and many people were banished to the nearby peninsula of Hornstrandir
, now a national nature reserve. The town of Ísafjörður was granted municipal status in 1786.
The local folk museum contains the oldest house in Iceland, built in 1734. The largest collection of old timber frame houses in Iceland is in this area. The houses were mostly constructed by foreign traders in the late 18th century. These include Tjöruhús (completed in 1742), Krambúð (1761), and Turnhús (1744) which now contains a maritime museum.
In 2002 Ísafjörður's own Mugison
(a.k.a. Örn Elías Guðmundsson) and his father organized the first 'Aldrei fór ég suður' Music Festival as a free concert to support the burgeoning music community in Ísafjörður. The event has been established as an annual festival in mid April. The name Aldrei fór ég suður (I never went south) is taken from a Bubbi Morthens
song of the same name, and may refer to a movement among young Icelanders to establish cultural events outside Reykjavík, and draw attention back to the nation's roots in the countryside. The festival's subtitle is "rokkhátið alþýðunnar" or "rock festival for the people".
Við Djúpið Music Festival
Since 2001 the Við Djúpið
Music Festival has offered master classes and concerts with nationwide and worldwide known artists, such as Erling Blöndal Bengtsson
, cellist and Vovka Ashkenazy, pianist as well as the Pacifica Quartet
, Evan Ziporyn
, clarinettist, composer and a member of the band Bang on a Can
gave a master class and concert in Ísafjörður during Við Djúpið 2007 and among performers at the 2008 festival where Pekka Kuusisto, violinist with Simon Crawford-Phillips, pianist and Håkon Austbø
, pianist.
Ísafjarðarbær
Ísafjarðarbær is amunicipality of Iceland in the Westfjords region, created in 1996 from Flateyrarhreppur, Ísafjarðarkaupstaður, Mosvallahreppur, Mýrahreppur, Suðureyrarhreppur and Þingeyrarhreppur.It has an area of 2,416 km² and a population of 3,824....
municipality.
The town draws its name from the fjord and the fjord was given its name simultaneously to the island. With a population of about 2,600 Ísafjörður is the largest town in the peninsula of Vestfirðir (Westfjords
Westfjords
The Westfjords or West Fjords is the name for the large peninsula in northwestern Iceland. It is connected to the rest of Iceland by a 7 km wide isthmus between Gilsfjörður and Bitrufjörður. The Westfjords are very mountainous; the coastline is heavily indented by dozens of fjords surrounded by...
) and the seat of the Ísafjarðarbær municipality, which includes the nearby Hnífsdalur, Flateyri
Flateyri
Flateyri is a village situated in the Westfjords of Iceland.With a population of approximately 237, it is the largest settlement on Önundarfjörður.-History:...
, Suðureyri, and Þingeyri
Þingeyri
Thingeyri is a settlement in the municipality of Ísafjarðarbær, Iceland.It is located on the coats of the fjord Dýrafjörður in the mountainous peninsula Westfjords...
. It is located on a spit of sand, or eyri, in the Skutulsfjörður fjord which meets the waters of the larger Isafjarðardjúp fjord.
Overview
The town is connected by road and a recent 5.4 km (3 mi). road tunnelBolungarvíkurgöng
Bolungarvíkurgöng is a tunnel in northwestern Iceland, located in Vestfirðir along Route 61. It has a length of and opened on September 25, 2010....
to Bolungarvík
Bolungarvík
Bolungarvík is a fishing village and municipality in the North-West of Iceland, located at the Vestfirðir peninsula, approximately 14 kilometres from the town of Ísafjörður and 473 km from the capital city Reykjavík....
which lies 15 km to the northwest, and to the small town of Súðavík
Súðavík
Súðavík is a village and municipality and a fishing village on the west coast of Álftarfjörður in Vestfirðir, Iceland .The population of Súðavík is around 190.-Overview:...
to the east. The partly one-lane Vestfjarðagöng (Vestfirðir Tunnel)
Tunnels in Iceland
There are eight open tunnels in Iceland, and three others currently under construction in the Icelandic road system. Tunnels in Iceland are usually built under mountains to prevent winter isolation of remote communities which would otherwise have to depend on high roads that often closed due to...
, completed in 1996, leads to the small towns of Flateyri
Flateyri
Flateyri is a village situated in the Westfjords of Iceland.With a population of approximately 237, it is the largest settlement on Önundarfjörður.-History:...
and Suðureyri, and to the western parts of the Westfjords. Ísafjörður has an airport
Ísafjörður Airport
Ísafjörður Airport is an airport serving Ísafjörður, a town in the Westfjords region in northwestern Iceland.-Facilities:The airport resides at an elevation of above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 08/26 with a bituminous surface measuring ....
with regular flights to Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
.
Fishing has been the main industry in Ísafjörður, and the town has one of the largest fisheries in Iceland. A severe decline in the fishing industry, for a variety of reasons such as political fishing restrictions in the early 80s and a decline in the fish population, has led the inhabitants to seek work elsewhere, leading to a decline in the town's population. The harbor also serves ferries to nearby settlements as well as larger cruise ships for tourists visiting the area.
Despite its size, small population, and historical isolation from the rest of the country, the town has a rather urban atmosphere. Ísafjörður has a school of music as well as a hospital. The older former hospital building now accommodates a cultural center with a library and showrooms. Recently the small town has become known in the country as a center for alternative music outside of Iceland, and a yearly festival, Aldrei fór ég suður, provides a platform for local musicians and bands from around Iceland and even from overseas. A university center, Háskólasetur Vestfjarða, which acts as a distance learning center for the 7000 residents of the Westfjords, was established in March 2005.
Education
Ísafjörður is the home to the University Centre of the Westfjords.In Ísafjörður is the only FE college of the Westfjords, Menntaskólinn á Ísafirði. The students are from 16 to 20 years of age, as is traditional in Icelandic colleges.
Business
Major employers in the region include Hraðfrystihúsið-Gunnvör, Klofningur and Íslandssaga. Ísafjörður is also the base of several noteworthy start-up companies including: Fossadalur, Kerecis and ArcTract.History
According to the LandnámabókLandnámabók
Landnámabók , often shortened to Landnáma, is a medieval Icelandic written work describing in considerable detail the settlement of Iceland by the Norse in the 9th and 10th centuries AD.-Landnáma:...
(the book of settlement), Skutulsfjördur was first settled by Helgi Magri Hrólfsson in the 9th century. In the 16th century the town grew as it became a trading post for foreign merchants. Witch trials were common around the same time throughout the Westfjords, and many people were banished to the nearby peninsula of Hornstrandir
Hornstrandir
Hornstrandir is Iceland's northernmost peninsula, situated in the Westfjords, to the north of the Jökulfirðir and to the northwest of Drangajökull....
, now a national nature reserve. The town of Ísafjörður was granted municipal status in 1786.
The local folk museum contains the oldest house in Iceland, built in 1734. The largest collection of old timber frame houses in Iceland is in this area. The houses were mostly constructed by foreign traders in the late 18th century. These include Tjöruhús (completed in 1742), Krambúð (1761), and Turnhús (1744) which now contains a maritime museum.
Culture
The town hosts varied and widely popular events, in the realms of both culture and outdoor recreation. These events include, but are not limited to:- The Ski Week Festival
- "Aldrei fór ég suður" music festival
- Fossavatn Ski MarathonFossavatn Ski MarathonFossavatn Ski Marathon is an annual ski marathon held in Ísafjörður, northwestern Iceland.It is the oldest ski race in Iceland, held since 1935...
- Við DjúpiðVið DjúpiðÍsafjörður, IcelandLocation of Ísafjörður in Iceland ConstituencyNorthwestArea 270 km² Population Total Density3,9469.09/km²Postal codesIS-400LatitudeLongitude...
music festival - European Swampsoccer Championships
- Act Alone - a theatre festival dedicated to the art of acting alone, monodrama, held in August every year
Annual music festivals
Aldrei fór ég suður – Ísafjörður Rock FestivalIn 2002 Ísafjörður's own Mugison
Mugison
Mugison is an Icelandic musician and singer who originally performed as a one-man band using a guitar and computer, but now often performs with a band. He studied in London to become a record producer....
(a.k.a. Örn Elías Guðmundsson) and his father organized the first 'Aldrei fór ég suður' Music Festival as a free concert to support the burgeoning music community in Ísafjörður. The event has been established as an annual festival in mid April. The name Aldrei fór ég suður (I never went south) is taken from a Bubbi Morthens
Bubbi Morthens
Bubbi Morthens , is a singer and songwriter from Iceland. His name of birth is Ásbjörn Kristinsson Morthens, Bubbi being the affectionate form of Ásbjörn.- History :...
song of the same name, and may refer to a movement among young Icelanders to establish cultural events outside Reykjavík, and draw attention back to the nation's roots in the countryside. The festival's subtitle is "rokkhátið alþýðunnar" or "rock festival for the people".
Við Djúpið Music Festival
Since 2001 the Við Djúpið
Við Djúpið
Ísafjörður, IcelandLocation of Ísafjörður in Iceland ConstituencyNorthwestArea 270 km² Population Total Density3,9469.09/km²Postal codesIS-400LatitudeLongitude...
Music Festival has offered master classes and concerts with nationwide and worldwide known artists, such as Erling Blöndal Bengtsson
Erling Blöndal Bengtsson
Erling Blöndal Bengtsson is a Danish cellist.Born in Copenhagen, Bengtsson gave his first public performance there in 1936, when he was four years old. He was admitted at the age of sixteen to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where he studied with Gregor Piatigorsky, who engaged him...
, cellist and Vovka Ashkenazy, pianist as well as the Pacifica Quartet
Pacifica Quartet
The Pacifica Quartet is an internationally recognized string quartet based in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, where they are faculty members at the University of Illinois. Its members are: Simin Ganatra, first violin; Sibbi Bernhardsson, second violin; Masumi Per Rostad, viola; and Brandon Vamos,...
, Evan Ziporyn
Evan Ziporyn
Evan Ziporyn is an American composer of post-minimalist music and music for Balinese gamelans. He plays the clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, and metallophone, borrowing from classical music, avant-garde, and jazz...
, clarinettist, composer and a member of the band Bang on a Can
Bang on a Can
Bang on a Can is a multi-faceted classical music organization based in New York City. It was founded in 1987 by three American composers who remain its artistic directors: Julia Wolfe, David Lang, and Michael Gordon...
gave a master class and concert in Ísafjörður during Við Djúpið 2007 and among performers at the 2008 festival where Pekka Kuusisto, violinist with Simon Crawford-Phillips, pianist and Håkon Austbø
Håkon Austbø
Håkon Austbø is a Norwegian classical pianist, born in Kongsberg. He is also a professor at the Amsterdam conservatory....
, pianist.
Notable natives and residents
- Ólafur Ragnar GrímssonÓlafur Ragnar GrímssonÓlafur Ragnar Grímsson is the fifth and current President of Iceland. He has served as President since 1996; he was unopposed in 2000, re-elected for a third term in 2004, and re-elected unopposed for a fourth term in 2008. He is the longest-serving left-wing president in the history of...
- President of IcelandPresident of IcelandThe President of Iceland is Iceland's elected head of state. The president is elected to a four-year term by universal adult suffrage and has limited powers. The president is not the head of government; the Prime Minister of Iceland is the head of government. There have been five presidents since... - MugisonMugisonMugison is an Icelandic musician and singer who originally performed as a one-man band using a guitar and computer, but now often performs with a band. He studied in London to become a record producer....
- MusicianMusicianA musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
External links
- Town of Ísafjörður
- Fisherman Hotel Suðureyri (in Icelandic, English and German)
- Aldrei fór ég suður Rock Festival (in Icelandic and English)
- Við Djúpið Music Festival
- Fossavatn Ski Marathon (in Icelandic, English, French, German, and Norwegian)
- Ísafjörður - Picture Gallery www.islandsmyndir.is
- Isafjordur Photo Collection
- Háskólasetur Vestfjarða