Six great places to visit in the centre of Hafnarfjörður

Hafnarfjörður Museum of Local History is the town's museum and photography archive. The museum has the important role of collecting and cataloguing, preserving, preventing damage to, and researching objects and artefacts related to the cultural history of the area, and presenting them to visitors and the public. The Folk Museum's activities are spread across six sites.

^{On the Harbour Path, you can find a photography exhibition that sheds light on the daily lives and history of the people who built the town.} 

The warehouse at 6 West Street 

The Packhouse usually has three exhibitions running at once: a permanent exhibition on the town's history, a toy exhibition, and a themed exhibition. The permanent exhibition covers the history of Hafnarfjörður and the surrounding area, with text and images. The story is told from the settlement period to the present day. There you can learn about, among other things, the German and English periods, the history of trade and fishing, the history of sport, the occupation, and the cinemas. The toy exhibition is popular, especially with children. There you can see a wide variety of toys, which are regularly rotated so there is always something new and fresh to see. This summer's themed exhibition in the foyer of the Packhouse is titled 'Under the Shelter of a Cloister' and is intended to shed light on the 80-year history of the Carmelite Cloister in Hafnarfjörður and its activities in a very visual and interesting way.

The Sívertsen House at 6 Vesturgata 

The Sívertsen House is the oldest house in Hafnarfjörður, built between 1803 and 1805 by Bjarni Sívertsen. He was a prominent businessman in Hafnarfjörður from 1794 to 1830, running a fishing business, a shop and a shipyard in the town. The house has been restored to its original state and shows how an upper-class family in Hafnarfjörður lived in the early 19th century, as well as shedding light on the remarkable history of Bjarni Sívertsen and his family.

^{There are six museums in the centre of Hafnarfjörður, seven including Hafnarborg.}

Bungalow at 32 West Street
The bungalow was built as a residence for the Scottish brothers Harry and Douglas Bookless in 1918. They ran an extensive fishing business from Hafnarfjörður in the first half of the 20th century. The brothers were influential and for many years the town's largest employers. After the demise of Bookless Bros, another British company, Hellyer Bros Ltd of Hull, took over the company's assets and ran a successful fishing operation for a time. The house was opened after refurbishment in 2008 and features an exhibition about the period of foreign fishing in Hafnarfjörður during the first half of the 20th century. In addition, the Bookless brothers' parlour can be seen there.

Beggubúð at 6 Vesturgata 
Beggubúð is the shop museum of the Hafnarfjörður Folk Museum. The building, which was constructed in 1906, formerly stood on the town's main shopping street. It was then moved to the museum's grounds, restored and opened as an exhibition house in 2008.

Siggubær, 10 Kirkjuvegur 
The sailor Erlendur Marteinsson built Siggubær in 1902. His daughter, Sigríður Erlendsdóttir, was ten years old when she moved into the house and lived there until 1978. when she moved to the Sólvang retirement and nursing home. Her cottage is preserved as an example of a working-class and seafaring home in Hafnarfjörður from the first half of the 20th century, where one can experience and learn about how the town's ordinary people lived at that time.

The Coastal Path
The Strandstígurinn runs from the Norðurbakka to Flensborgarhöfn and is popular with both pedestrians and cyclists. On the Strandstígur is the Hafnarfjörður Folk Museum, which has an exhibition space for its photography collection. It hosts photography exhibitions that shed light on the daily lives and history of the people who built the town. 

A recipe for a good day!

It's easy to plan a whole day with family or friends in Hafnarfjörður. A great way to start the day is with a swim in Ásvallalaug or Suðurbæjarlaug, followed by a coffee or a visit to a bakery, and then explore the town centre or the countryside on foot or by bike. It's an easy stroll between the museums in the town centre, and then elves and adventure await in Hellisgerði, just a five-minute walk away. A unique view over the entrance to Hafnarfjörður can be found from the Northern Quay. Design, creation and craftsmanship are all-pervasive at Flensborg Harbour, mingling with the life of the harbour, with boats and ships of all shapes and sizes.