Hellisgerði

Hellisgerði It is a public park, all adorned with lava fields. It is ideal to go there with a blanket and a picnic when the weather is good, and to let children explore and enjoy themselves in this beautiful environment. During Advent, the park is dressed up for the festive season with lights and plenty to do.

The garden

The history of Hellisgerði can be traced back to Wednesday, 15th March 1922. On that day, Guðmundur Einarsson, manager of the Dverg timber mill, gave a presentation at a meeting of the debating society Magna, which he entitled „Can the Magni society have an influence on the appearance of Hafnarfjörður?“ In his speech, he answered the question in the affirmative by proposing the creation of an amusement or flower garden that would be a credit to Magni and a great adornment to the town. Subsequently, a committee was established within the society, tasked with finding a suitable location for the garden. The committee concluded that the so-called „Hellisgerði“, between Reykjavíkurvegur and Kirkjuvegur, was ideal for the garden. There was a grove of trees, but the manager of C. Zimsen's department store had fenced off an area around Fjarðarhellir around the turn of the century. In the autumn of 1922, the Hafnarfjörður town council agreed to provide the society with the requested garden site free of charge. The town council's approval, however, came with the condition that the park would be open to the public on Sundays during the summer, and that if the area was not fenced off and cultivation not begun there within two years, the society would forfeit its right to the land. The following spring, Hellisgerði had been fenced off, and on 24 June, an open-air entertainment was held there with the aim of raising funds for the activities and introducing it to the townspeople. On that occasion, the town clerk, Magnús Jónsson, handed Hellisgerði over to the Málfundafélagið Magna on behalf of the municipality and wished them every success in their work. The event was considered such a success that it was decided to hold the Midsummer Festival there annually for fundraising. Entertainment included speeches, bugle calls, singing and spending time in the garden itself. The last Midsummer Festival at Hellisgerði was held in 1960.

In 1923, the Magni Speakers' Club began systematic cultivation in Hellisgerði, but the garden is now owned by the City of Hafnarfjörður. A great many elves and hidden folk are believed to live in the garden. Today, there is a café and a small craft shop there.