In the footsteps of Sigur Rós on their travel in Iceland

Back in 2007 the popular Icelandic band Sigur Rós came home after extensive worldwide tour. Instead of laying low and chilling the band kept on touring. Only this time in their own country and held free concerts in a number of places all around.

This local tour is made immortal in the documentary Heima, home in Icelandic language, which we implore people to check out before coming. For Heima is not just a tour video but does actually capture a glimpse of how simple life is here.[blockquote type=”blockquote_line” align=”right”]Tracking the places where the lovely Sigur Rós played around Iceland[/blockquote]

Team Total Iceland has had inquires about some of those places the band performed in during this tour. So we decided to do a thorough job. The concerts took place in these locations (map below).

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• MIKLATUN, REYKJAVIK >> The largest of the concerts in question took place in this small park in Reykjavik city. Miklatun is better known locally as Klambratun and is also location of Kjarvalsstadir Art Museum. The park itself has little to recommend it but there are a number of sculptures found throughout.
• ASBYRGI, HUSAVIK >> A fantastic arena for a concert and everything else for that matter. Asbyrgi sits in a very peculiar depression in the landscape and offer excellent shelter from winds from particular directions. Surrounded by a half-moon shaped cliffs up to hundred meters in height this is one of the absolute must-stops in the country. And take some time here too please.
• DJUPAVIK, HOLMAVIK >>  This was perhaps the most intimate of the concerts in question. Population of Djupavik is zilch, nill and not much there but an abandoned fish factory which has been partly turned into a summer hotel. This is very much off the beaten track of most travelers but that might appeal to many too.
• OLAFSVIK, OLAFSVIK >> The tiny village of Olafsvik may not look or offer much but this was the location of one of Sigur Rósar concerts. The routes into town are very scenic and the magnificent, if disappearing, Snaefellsjokull glacier towers above.
• ISAFJORDUR, ISAFJORDUR >> Isafjordur town is the largest place found in the Westfjords of Iceland and as such pretty lively. Straight across from the bay is the nature preserve Hornstrandir which is one of the very finest places in the country.
• SEYDISFJORDUR, SEYDISFJORDUR >> A tiny village in the East of Iceland with majestic mountains formed all around it. This is the current summer stop of the only passenger ferry sailing regularly to Iceland.
• KARAHNJUKAR, EGILSSTADIR >> This is way up in the highland close to where the huge Karahnjukar dam stands. Protesting the dam was one reason why they played here and funnily enough, next to a dam, totally without electricity.
• OXNADALUR, AKUREYRI >> Oxnadalur valley is a spectacular valley you drive through on your way to or from Akureyri in the North of Iceland. Some of Iceland´s most jagged peaks join any traveler here for and below a river runs through it. This is also the birthplace of one of Iceland´s most famous poets.[/list]

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