Cosy Christmas atmosphere at Hafnarborg

Aldís Arnardóttir, Director Hafnarborg, the cultural and arts centre of Hafnarfjörður , says that visitors are very well received at the museum during Advent. There are exhibitions, concerts and a Christmas calendar for families. 

Aldís points out that the television's Advent calendar, Where is Völundur?, from 1996 will be shown on repeat daily, except on Tuesdays, between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. „In the museum's main hall, we have a retrospective exhibition of the works of the late artist, Þorvaldur Þorsteinsson, entitled “Lengi skal manninn reyna„, but the Christmas calendar is by him and gives an insight into the diverse body of work of Þorvaldur,“ says Aldís. It's Felix Bergsson and Gunnar Helgason who play the main roles and direct the series. "We hope that families with children will come and watch the programmes, the first of which was shown on 1 December. The museum is always closed on Tuesdays, which is why we show two programmes on Wednesdays. Admission to the museum is free on those days, whether for the exhibitions or events," she adds.

It's nice to come into the relaxed atmosphere at Hafnarborg. 

At Hafnarborg, you can therefore enjoy a pleasant moment, relax and browse art, books or beautiful gifts in the museum shop. It's a lovely place to escape to after a stroll around the Christmas village and soak up the festive atmosphere on the Strandgata in Hafnarfjörður. Coffee is also served in the artist's studio, „Thorvald's Stove“, which has been set up on the museum's first floor. There, you can view sketches and other material from him in the peace and quiet that characterises the museum. An exhibition of works by Þorvaldur Þorsteinsson is currently on display at Hafnarborg, and many have made their way there to see it. 

The exhibition Songbirds with new works by Katrín Elvarsdóttir

In addition to the exhibition by Þorvaldur Þorsteinsson, the 'Söngfuglar' exhibition is also currently on display, featuring new works by Katrín Elvarsdóttir. Also on the programme are lunchtime concerts with a festive touch on 7 December at 12 noon and afternoon tones on 17 December at 6 pm, where guests can enjoy listening to Christmas jazz. „The museum's concerts are always well attended, but this is the eighteenth year that we at Hafnarborg have held lunchtime concerts during Advent. Attendance at the museum has also been very good recently, and it is clear that the exhibitions appeal to many people. For example, numerous student groups, from both primary and secondary schools, have visited. Already, 180 students have visited in one month, and we are expecting just over a hundred more in the next two weeks.“ says Aldís. „We always find it very enjoyable to welcome these enthusiastic groups.“

People's interest in the Christmas town is also reflected in Hafnarborg. 

Aldís says that there is a lot going on in Hafnarfjörður at the moment, the town is beautifully decorated and the Christmas village is always popular. „People's interest in the town centre here before Christmas also benefits us. We get children coming in who are taking part in a Christmas treasure hunt, and there's always interest in the products we have on sale during Advent. In particular, these include the Love Ball and the Christmas Ornaments, which we sell for the Society for the Support of Paralysed and Disabled People. We also always have high-quality art books, and the new Reykjavík Harbour posters from Hjarta Reykjavíkur are due to go on sale. We've also decorated beautifully for the festive season, so the surroundings are now very Christmassy.“

Admission to concerts, exhibitions and related events is free and everyone is warmly welcome at Hafnarborg, Strandgata 34. Open daily, except Tuesdays, from 12 noon to 5 p.m.

An advertisement appeared in the Fréttablaðið on 4 December 2021.