Insight Guides Iceland (Travel Guide eBook)

Insight Guides

Description

Insight Guide to Iceland is a pictorial travel guide in a magazine style providing answers to the key questions before or during your trip: deciding when to go to Iceland, choosing what to see, from exploring Heimaey to discovering Latrabjarg or creating a travel plan to cover key places like Northern Lights, Reykjavík and the Blue Lagoon. This is an ideal travel guide for travellers seeking inspiration, in-depth cultural and historical information about Iceland as well as a great selection of places to see during your trip.

The Insight Guide Iceland covers: Reykjavík; The Reykjavík Peninsula; The Southwest; Vestmannaeyjar (The Westman Islands); The Southeast; Snaefellsnes and the West; The West Fjords; Hunafloi and Skagafjordur; Akureyri and Surroundings; Grimsey; Lake Myvatn; The Northeast; The East Fjords; The Interior.

In this travel guide you will find:

IN-DEPTH CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL FEATURES  
Created to explore the culture and the history of Iceland to get a greater understanding of its modern-day life, people and politics.

BEST OF
The top attractions and Editor's Choice highlighting the most special places to visit around Iceland.

CURATED PLACES, HIGH QUALITY MAPS
Geographically organised text cross-referenced against full-colour, high quality travel maps for quick orientation in Snaefellsnes, Lake Myvatn and many more locations in Iceland.

COLOUR-CODED CHAPTERS
Every part of Iceland, from Reykjavík to The East Fjords has its own colour assigned for easy navigation.

TIPS AND FACTS
Up-to-date historical timeline and in-depth cultural background to Iceland as well as an introduction to Iceland's Food and Drink and fun destination-specific features.  

PRACTICAL TRAVEL  INFORMATION
A-Z of useful advice on everything from when to go to Iceland, how to get there and how to get around, as well as Iceland's climate, advice on tipping, etiquette and more.  

STRIKING PICTURES
Features inspirational colour photography, including the stunning Gullfoss and the spectacular Ísafjörður.

Sujets

• Travel
• Iceland
• Greenland
• Islande
• Europe

Informations

• Publié par: Apa Publications
• Date de parution: 15 juin 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 2
• EAN13: 9781839053283
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 16 Mo

Extrait

How To Use This E-Book

Getting around the e-book
This Insight Guide e-book is designed to give you inspiration for your visit to Iceland, as well as comprehensive planning advice to make sure you have the best travel experience. The guide begins with our selection of Top Attractions, as well as our Editor’s Choice categories of activities and experiences. Detailed features on history, people and culture paint a vivid portrait of contemporary life in Iceland. The extensive Places chapters give a complete guide to all the sights and areas worth visiting. The Travel Tips provide full information on getting around, activities from culture to shopping to sport, plus a wealth of practical information to help you plan your trip.
In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information and listings are also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.
Maps
All key attractions and sights in Iceland are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map] just tap this to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.
Images
You’ll find hundreds of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of Iceland. Simply double-tap on an image to see it full-screen.
About Insight Guides
Insight Guides have more than 40 years’ experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides. We produce 400 full-colour titles, in both print and digital form, covering more than 200 destinations across the globe, in a variety of formats to meet your different needs.
Insight Guides are written by local authors, whose expertise is evident in the extensive historical and cultural background features. Each destination is carefully researched by regional experts to ensure our guides provide the very latest information. All the reviews in Insight Guides are independent; we strive to maintain an impartial view. Our reviews are carefully selected to guide you to the best places to eat, go out and shop, so you can be confident that when we say a place is special, we really mean it.
© 2022 Apa Digital AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd

Table of Contents
Iceland’s Top 10 Attractions
Editor’s Choice
Introduction: An Extraordinary Island
Forged by Fire, Honed by Ice
Decisive dates
Ultima Thule
The Coming of Christianity
The Dark Ages
The Push For Independence
Modern Iceland
The Icelanders
Icelandic Literature
Insight: Heroes And Heroines Of The Sagas
Living with the Environment
Harvesting the Sea
Insight: Life on the Land
Food and Drink
A Naturalist’s Paradise
Places
Reykjavík
The Reykjanes Peninsula
The Southwest
Vestmannaeyjar (the Westman Islands)
The Southeast
Insight: Natural Wonders
Snæfellsnes and the West
The West Fjords
Insight: Observing Iceland’s Sea Birds
Húnaflói and Skagafjörður
Akureyri and Surroundings
Grímsey
Lake Mývatn
Insight: Outdoor Pursuits
The Northeast
The East Fjords
The Interior
Transportation
A-Z: A Handy Summary of Practical Information
Language
Further Reading
Iceland’s Top 10 Attractions

Top Attraction 1

Northern Lights . Visitors often come to Iceland in the darkest winter months simply to try to observe the uncanny lightshow of the aurora borealis. For more information, click here .
Dreamstime

Top Attraction 2

Blue Lagoon . The extraordinary resort is set in the midst of a lava field on the barren Reykjanes peninsula. Spend an afternoon bathing in its geothermally heated, mineral-rich waters and you will emerge relaxed, re-energised and already planning your next trip to Iceland. For more information, click here .
Ming Tang-Evans/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 3

Reykjavík . Iceland’s capital may be small and isolated, but it is a lively, attractive and urbane city nonetheless, with many cultural attractions. The setting, with views across to Mt Esja, is spectacular, and the nightlife is legendary. For more information, click here .
Ming Tang-Evans/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 4

Puffin-spotting . See huge colonies of these curious, colourful birds on the coast at Borgarfjörður-Eystri, Vík and Látrabjarg, and on islands such as Akurey and Lundey (off Reykjavík), Drangey, Papey and Heimaey. For more information, click here .
Fotolia

Top Attraction 5

Heimaey . Almost wiped off the map by the volcanic eruption of 1973, this quintessential Icelandic fishing port has an attractive harbour and two looming volcanic peaks. Situated on the friendly Vestmannaeyjar islands off the southwest coast. For more information, click here .
Ming Tang-Evans/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 6

Jökulsárlón . The glacial lagoon features on a hundred postcards, but nothing prepares you for its ethereal beauty. Glinting blue icebergs, calved from the mighty Vatnajökull icecap, float through the lagoon on their way to the sea. For more information, click here .
Ming Tang-Evans/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 7

Ísafjörður . The remote capital of the beautiful West Fjords region has a stunning setting. It is also the jumping-off point for wilderness hikers seeking to explore the deserted Hornstrandir peninsula. For more information, click here .
Ming Tang-Evans/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 8

Whale-watching . Perhaps the best place in Europe to catch a glimpse of one of these majestic creatures is off Húsavík, on the north coast. For more information, click here .
Shutterstock

Top Attraction 9

Geysir and Gullfoss . Two natural wonders are a must-see countryside excursion for those on short city breaks. Geysir gave its name to all the world’s geysers, although these days it is outperformed by its neighbour Strokkur. Nearby, the dramatic double waterfall Gullfoss is awesome in its elemental power. For more information, click here .
Ming Tang-Evans/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 10

Þórsmörk . One of Iceland’s most spectacular and inaccessible wilderness areas is sealed off by a trio of glaciers, surging rivers and steep mountainsides covered in tiny birch trees. For more information, click here .
Dreamstime
Editor’s Choice

Riding Icelandic horses.
Ming Tang-Evans/Apa Publications

Uniquely Icelandic

Horse-riding . The one-of-a-kind Icelandic horse is a sturdy, calm-natured breed. Farms across the country offer visitors anything from a one-hour sortie to a 10-day trek.
Geothermal swimming pools . Emerging from a hot tub into the frigid polar air is a memorable experience.
Þingvellir . Revered by Icelanders, this beautiful natural amphitheatre is the birthplace of the nation. For more information, click here .
Independence Day . On 17 June Reykjavík and other places put on street parades, street theatre and music events.
Pickled shark and brennivín . Iceland’s traditional foodstuffs are eaten with gusto during the pagan festival of Þorrablót. For more information, click here .

Taking the waters at Jarðböðin nature baths.
Ming Tang-Evans/Apa Publications

Spectacular Scenery

The coast around Vík . Black volcanic sands, pounding Atlantic surf and jagged rocks give Iceland’s southernmost point a Gothic majesty. For more information, click here .
Skaftafell . Part of Europe’s second-largest national park, this is prime hiking country, dominated by glaciers. For more information, click here .
Sn æ fellsnes . The mystical volcano here was the entrance point to the planet’s interior in Jules Verne’s Journey to the Centre of the Earth . For more information, click here .
West Fjords . Towering cliffs and remote fjords in Iceland’s subarctic northwest. For more information, click here .
Jökulsárgljúfur . The impressive Dettifoss waterfall and Jökulsá Canyon are reasons to make the trip to this area in the far northeast. For more information, click here .
Herðubreið . This towering peak rises over the plain of the eastern interior, with the Herðubreiðarlindur valley an oasis of green amid desert-like surroundings. For more information, click here .

The Snæfellsnes peninsula, whose focus is the Snæfellsjökull glacier.
Ming Tang-Evans/Apa Publications

Sights in Reykjavík

Hallgrímskirkja . Climb the tower of this striking modern structure for breathtaking views. For more information, click here .
National Museum . Recommended to anyone wishing to understand Iceland’s past. For more information, click here .
Perlan – Wonders of Iceland . Reykjavík’s absorbing museum and planetarium uses high-tech methods to explore volcanoes, geysers, ice caves and the Northern Lights. For more information, click here .
The Settlement Exhibition . A Viking longhouse forms the kernel of this exhibition, exploring the settlement of Iceland. See also the Saga Museum . For more information, click here and click here .
Árbær Open-Air Museum . Discover how people lived in the not-so-distant past. For more information, click here .
Laugardalur . Reykjavík’s main leisure complex features two open-air pools, water slides, seven hot tubs, a sauna and a beach volleyball court. For more information, click here .

Leifur Eiríksson statue with Hallgrímskirkja behind.
Ming Tang-Evans/Apa Publications

Birdwatcher’s Paradise

Lake Mývatn . This volcanic lake attracts abundant waterfowl, including the world’s largest population of breeding ducks. For more information, click here .
Látrabjarg bird-cliffs . Spectacular sea-cliffs, home to thousands of sea birds. For more information, click here .
Grímsey . Small island known for its abundant birdlife. For more information, click here .
Breiðafjörður . Keep a lookout for Iceland’s largest bird of prey, the rare and strictly protected white-tailed sea eagle. For more inf