Sharon Sparlin: AKUREYRI, ICELAND

Nicknamed the "Capital of North Iceland", Akureyri is the second most important city in Iceland, behind Reykjavik.

The area where Akureyri is located was settled in the 9th century but did not receive a municipal charter until 1786.

The area has a relatively mild climate because of geographical factors and the town's ice-free harbor played a significant role in its history.

The Norwegian Star docked in Akureyri on Wednesday June 21, 2023 at 7am. Our weather forecast called for a high of 40 degrees and cloudy.

After breakfast and a quick stint in the hot tub, I was ready to leave the ship. I stepped off the ship at 9:15am with my first order of business being that of making my way to the main city bus stop.

As you leave the pier and head toward city center you will pass the HOF Cultural and Conference Center on your left-hand side.

You will see a bus stop at HOF Center but this is NOT the bus stop you want. Buses here are blue/orange or yellow/white and have route numbers above 10, like #57. These are the long-distance buses, not local buses.

For the FREE local city bus you will want to walk past the HOF Center to the local Akuryei City Bus stop.

All transportation with-in the town is free of charge. The bus schedule covers a time frame from 6:28 am until 10:55pm all weekdays and during weekends from 12:18pm till 9:55pm. Exceptions are on public holidays so check your schedule closely.

Free buses

There are 6 city bus routes, numbered #1 to #6, that drive in circles. They all begin and end at the main stop in the city center, close by the town square and next to the taxi station. You will see the stop listed as “Miobaer” in the timetable. Each circle takes between 30 and 50 minutes depending on the route.

Miobaer bus stop

Free bus routes

The first bus I took was the #6 bus. The circle trip took 35 minutes. Next, I walked further into the downtown area and located the Akureyrarkirkja, referred to locally as the Church of Akureyri.

Once you find the church your work isn’t finished. Now you must climb the 106 steps. Ten sets of ten steps each plus the first six steps. Remember, you also have to walk back down the 106 steps.

Akureyrarkirkja is a prominent Lutheran church and entrance is 5 euros.

It was designed by Guðjón Samúelsson and completed in 1940. It contains a large 3200 pipe organ.

The altarpiece dates to 1863 and was designed by Danish artist Edvard Lehmann.

The angel baptismal font is a replica of a work by noted Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen.

From the church I made my way back to the main Miobaer bus stop and boarded bus #6 again. This time around I got off at Minjasafnid - the Akureyri Museum stop.

The complex is made up of 4 different museums. I toured three of the four. I did not go into the Toy Museum.

I took bus #6 back to the main Miobaer stop. Look for this symbol for your bus stop.

Back at the main stop I boarded bus #2. That circle trip took 35 minutes.

The afternoon was quickly slipping away I walked to the city center again, this time stopping at the Akureyri Backpackers.

They offer a Happy Hour from 2-6pm with beer prices only 750ISK or $5.71USD as of this writing. This is a great price as normally they cost 1500ISK or $11.41USD.