Light splendour, elf coffee and reindeer in Hellisgerði
Hellisgerði has been glowing all year round in recent years, and especially during Advent. Great effort has been put into creating a magical world of lights and delights in the run-up to Christmas for the whole family. This year, the Men in Sheds were commissioned to design and create eco-friendly Christmas decorations for the garden. Their creativity has resulted in beautiful wooden reindeer of all shapes and sizes.
Men in sheds contributed to the decoration of the parade float this year.
Hellisgerði has been glowing all year round in recent years, and especially during Advent. Great effort has been put into creating a magical world of lights and delights in the run-up to Christmas for the whole family. This year, Men in Sheds were commissioned to design and create eco-friendly Christmas decorations for the garden. Their creativity has resulted in beautiful wooden reindeer of all shapes and sizes. The reindeer join the great number of elves and fairies in Hellisgerði, where legend has it they live. There is also a lovely café and craft shop, Litla Álfabúðin, which is open on weekends during Advent, in line with the opening hours of the Christmas Village in Hafnarfjörður.
The Christmas route runs through Hafnarfjörður.
For several years now, a veritable Christmas wonderland has been rising in the run-up to Christmas in Hellisgerði, this beautiful 100-year-old pleasure garden in the heart of Hafnarfjörður. At the entrance from Reykjavikurveg, a beautifully illuminated Christmas heart welcomes visitors and passers-by, and then a magical world of lights and delights unfolds, delighting the eye and the soul. Many people make their way through the garden on a walk through the Christmas town, specifically to take in the Christmas spirit and enjoy the moment in the company of family and friends.
Of bookworms and reindeer
The City of Hafnarfjörður's collaboration with Karlar í skúrum is nothing new. Karlar í skúrum designed and built a beautiful book lighthouse, which was erected in the autumn of 2021 at the entrance to Hellisgerði from Hellisgata. The book lighthouse has proved very popular and is used for a book exchange all year round, where passers-by are encouraged to take a book and leave another in its place when they can. There are plans to install such a bookcase elsewhere in the town, and Ásvallalaug has been mentioned as the next possible location. Men in Sheds is a community project launched by the Red Cross in early 2018, based at Helluhrauni 8 in Hafnarfjörður, where lighthouses and reindeer are designed and built, among other things, in close collaboration. The project is based on the idea that men communicate best when they are working shoulder to shoulder with something in their hands. The shed itself is conceived as a safe and friendly space for men aged 18 and over to meet and work on creative and fun projects, either together or on their own, at their own pace and on their own terms.
The Christmas village is open every weekend during Advent.
The Christmas Village in Hafnarfjörður is open every weekend in Advent; Fridays from 5 pm - 8 pm, Saturdays and Sundays from 1 pm - 6 pm until Christmas. In the Christmas Village, there is a hive of life and activity, and the beautifully decorated houses of Hafnarfjörður offer exciting gifts, gourmet treats, crafts and design amidst gentle Christmas lights, sweet tunes and a flourishing culture.