Bolungarvík (, regionally also ) is a small town and the only built-up area in the municipality of Bolungarvíkurkaupstaður in the northwest of

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its ...

, located on the

Westfjords The Westfjords or West Fjords ( is, Vestfirðir , ISO 3166-2:IS: IS-4) is a large peninsula in northwestern Iceland and an administrative district, the least populous administrative district. It lies on the Denmark Strait, facing the east coa ...

peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on a ...

, approximately from the town of

Ísafjörður Ísafjörður (pronounced , meaning ''ice fjord'', literally ''fjord of ices'') is a town in the northwest of Iceland. The oldest part of Ísafjörður with the town centre is located on a spit of sand, or ''eyri'', in Skutulsfjörður, a fjord ...

and from the capital city

Reykjavík Reykjavík ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói bay. Its latitude is 64°08' N, making it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. With a po ...

. Bolungarvík is close to abundant fishing grounds and has been used as an outpost for fishing since the 17th century, making it one of the earliest in Iceland. The village was not accessible by road until 1950, and in 2010 the Bolungarvíkurgöng tunnel was opened under the Óshlíð mountain to bypass the old road, which was frequently subject to avalanches and rock falls. Tourist sites include the Ósvör Maritime Museum, featuring a restored 19th-century fishing hut, a natural history museum, which houses

taxidermied Taxidermy is the art of preserving an animal's body via mounting (over an armature) or stuffing, for the purpose of display or study. Animals are often, but not always, portrayed in a lifelike state. The word ''taxidermy'' describes the proce ...

animals including a polar bear and the biggest bird collection in Iceland, and an indoor swimming pool with outdoor hot tubs and a water slide. Skálavík bay can be reached by a gravel road from June through August, and that same road also leads to the top of the Bolafjall mountain (638 m.) with views of the village of Bolungarvík, the Latrar Air Station, the

Ísafjarðardjúp Ísafjarðardjúp () is a large fjord in the Westfjords region of Iceland. Its name translates to ''Depth of the fjord of sea ice''. Ísafjörður, capital of the Westfjords region, is situated close to the mouth of Ísafjarðardjúp in Skutu ...

fjord, the

Jökulfirðir The ''Jökulfirðir'' (, "glacier fjords") form a system of five fjords in Westfjords, Iceland, situated north of Ísafjarðardjúp and south of the Hornstrandir peninsula. They are named for ''Drangajökull'', a glacier situated to the southe ...

fjords, the

Hornstrandir Hornstrandir () is Iceland's northernmost peninsula, covering at the northern end of the Westfjords, to the north of the Jökulfirðir and to the northwest of Drangajökull glacier. Ecosystem The area covers of tundra, fjord, glacier and alpi ...

nature reserve and the Denmark Strait. The surroundings of Bolungarvík are destinations for hiking, horse riding,

sea angling Recreational fishermen usually fish either from a boat or from a shoreline or river bank. When fishing from a boat, or fishing vessel, most fishing techniques can be used, from nets to fish traps, but some form of angling is by far the most com ...

and birdwatching.

History and folklore

According to ''

Landnámabók (, "Book of Settlements"), often shortened to , is a medieval Icelandic written work which describes in considerable detail the settlement () of Iceland by the Norse in the 9th and 10th centuries CE. is divided into five parts and ov ...

'', Þuríður Sundafyllir settled in Bolungarvík around 940 along with her brother Þjóðólfur. Folklore says they had a disagreement and put a spell on each other, as they were both skilled sorcerers. Þuríður laid on her brother that he would spend eternity as a monolith on which all birds would defecate. Þjóðólfur in turn hexed his sister that she would forever stand where the wind blows most. The pillar that was said to be Þuríður collapsed in half in 1936. The legend says that same night the cliff "Þjóðólfur" sank in the sea. That night their spell washed away into the sea.

In popular fiction

*Bolungarvík was the location for '' Nói Albínói'', a

movie A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

Dagur Kári Dagur Kári (born Dagur Kári Pétursson; 12 December 1973) is an Icelandic film director. Early life and education He was born in Paris, France, to Icelandic parents. The family returned to Iceland when he was 3 years old. After attending loc ...

about a disaffected teenager living in a remote Icelandic village. *

Rúnar Rúnarsson Rúnar Rúnarsson (born 20 January 1977 in Reykjavík Reykjavík ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói bay. Its latitude is 64°08' N, ma ...

's 2015 film ''

Sparrows Sparrow may refer to: Birds * Old World sparrows, family Passeridae * New World sparrows, family Passerellidae * two species in the Passerine family Estrildidae: ** Java sparrow ** Timor sparrow * Hedge sparrow, also known as the dunnock or he ...

'' was partly filmed in Bolungarvík. *The 2015 film ''

Albatross Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds related to the procellariids, storm petrels, and diving petrels in the order Procellariiformes (the tubenoses). They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pac ...

'' by

Snævar Sölvi Sölvason Snævar Sölvi Sölvason (born 26 July 1985) is an Icelandic film director and screenwriter. Since 2011 he has directed three films, including the 2019 drama Eden. Biography Snævar was raised in Bolungarvík, Iceland. He studied Financial e ...

is set in Bolungarvík.

Gallery

File:Faro de Bolungarvík, Vestfirðir, Islandia, 2014-08-15, DD 052.JPG, The lighthouse in Bolungarvík ''Óshólaviti'' File:Museo marítimo Ósvör, Bolungarvík, Vestfirðir, Islandia, 2014-08-15, DD 066.JPG, The fishing outpost museum ''Ósvör'' File:TraditionalFisherman1Ice.JPG, Bolungarvík fisherman File:Bolungarvik-bolafjall.jpg, H-4A Air Radar Station atop Bolafjall

Climate

Based on the climate data for the most recent reference period, Bolungarvík has either a

subarctic climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of an ocean, g ...

( Köppen: ''Dfc'') or a

subpolar oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...

(''Cfc'') bordering very closely on a

Tundra In physical geography, tundra () is a type of biome where tree growth is hindered by frigid temperatures and short growing seasons. The term ''tundra'' comes through Russian (') from the Kildin Sámi word (') meaning "uplands", "treeless mou ...

climate (''ET)'', depending on the isotherm used. The weather station at the Galtarviti lighthouse near Bolungarvík has more detailed climate data, and features a mild tundra climate (''ET'') with abundant precipitation for the 1961-90 reference period.

Panoramas

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bolungarvik Municipalities of Iceland Populated places in Westfjords Fishing communities Fishing communities in Iceland Populated places established in the 10th century