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Alþingi — Parliament of Iceland

Alþingi — Parliament of Iceland

Highlight • Historical Site

Alþingi — Parliament of Iceland

Recommended by 100 hikers out of 105

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Location: Reykjavík, Iceland

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Best Hikes to Alþingi — Parliament of Iceland

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1. The Unknown Bureaucrat – Tjörnin Lake loop from Litli Skerjafjörður

4.71km

01:16

60m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

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2. Café Babalú – Reykjavík Cathedral loop from Reykjavik

1.90km

00:31

20m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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5.0

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3. The Unknown Bureaucrat – Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre loop from Hlemmur

4.77km

01:15

40m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Tips

Willem VS

October 6, 2023

The world's first parliament, founded in 930 in Thingvellir, settled in this austere gray basalt stone building (1881) with its copper-green roof. Next to it there is now a better lit outbuilding (2002). Debates in the large hall with sky blue walls are broadcast live on television.
In the middle of the square stands the statue of Jon Sigurdsson, who was at the forefront of the independence struggle of the 19th century.

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Herbert

March 12, 2017

Probably one of the smallest parliament buildings in Europe, the Althing in Reykjavik. The Icelandic Parliament has 68 seats, the building was built in 1881.

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Beyond the Horizon

October 5, 2023

While most European capitals have magnificent and sprawling parliament buildings, the Althing stands out in its understated size, arguably one of the smallest parliament buildings in Europe. But don't let its size fool you, because it is home to the second oldest existing parliament in the world with 68 seats, which has served as a witness to countless political decisions since 1881.

A few steps further and you find yourself on the shore of the picturesque lake "Tjörnin", on which the Reykjavík City Hall stands. The façade that presents itself to you tells stories of contrasts - between city and nature, between the constant and the fluid. While the northern part with its massive, orthogonal construction is reminiscent of the artificial regularity of the buildings in the Kvos district, the southern part with work and meeting rooms opens gently towards the lake, an invitation to all those seeking peace and inspiration.

As you walk, you will come across a square at the intersection of Vonarstræti and Tjarnargata, where a round pond and a moss-covered wall make everyday life fade into the background for a moment. It is almost as if the Icelandic wilderness has created a small place to linger here, in the middle of the city.

This symbiosis of city and nature was at the heart of the design by Margrét Harðardóttir and Steve Christer, two young architects who won the design competition for the City Hall. Their vision? A building that fuses the opposites of Reykjavík's urban and natural heritage.

Before you end your visit, step into the Sea Room, the "Tjarnarsalur". This impressive space not only serves as a meeting place, but also houses a masterpiece of craftsmanship precision: a large-scale relief map of Iceland. As you look at the finely chiseled contour lines that reveal Iceland's unique topography, you can almost feel Iceland's rugged yet enchanting landscape come to life beneath your fingers.

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Gimli

August 23, 2022

The Alþingi houses the Icelandic Parliament. It is the second oldest existing parliament in the world.

de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Althing

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Sasha Taylor

April 18, 2023

City Hall is the home of a huge 3D printed map of Iceland on the ground floor. The building itself as the architects conceived Reykjavík City Hall primarily as an interface where the contrasts of nature and city intertwine into a complex, three dimensional whole.

he City Hall is located on the northern bank of the lake 'Tjörnin' in the historic centre of Reykjavík. The design is symbolic of its double function: To the north the City Council Building, housing the political functions, is massive and orthogonal, influenced by the manmade regularity of the buildings in the Kvos district. To the south the Office Building, the forum of administration and officials, has a different and lighter appearance. Workspaces and conference rooms open to the south towards the lake. At the junction of Vonarstræti and Tjarnargata there is a square with a rounded pond where the water and its life-forms are contrasted with bustling urban life. There one can admire the moss-grown wall, which is one of the special features of the building, inspired by the mossy rock walls of Icelandic nature.

The idea of a city hall in Reykjavik is almost as old as the city itself. For years the municipal authorities explored the possibility of building a city hall, studied locations and invited proposals for its design. It wasn't until 1986 that the city executive council decided to hold an open competition for a city hall. A total of 38 proposals were submitted and the panel of judges announced their decision in June1987. First prize went to a proposal by two young architects, Margrét Harðardóttir and Steve Christer, who had both graduated from the Architectural Association School of London in 1984. The construction of Reykjavik City Hall began in 1988 and it was inaugurated on April 14th 1992. In the winning proposal the architects conceived Reykjavík City Hall primarily as an interface where the contrasts of nature and city intertwine into a complex, three dimensional whole.

The Lake Room

Tjarnarsalur (The Lake Room) is the largest function room in City Hall, intended for meetings, exhibitions and receptions. It is normally open to the walkway but can be screened off if necessary. Unless there is a function ongoing in the hall, guests are free to roam the room and observe a large scale relief map of Iceland. It is constructed of a 1 mm thick cardboard, cut out along the height lines of the cards. The cardboard blocks are mounted on wooden plates which are screwed onto the aluminum frame. The model is in the scale of 1: 50,000 but the elevation is double so that the height scale is 1: 25,000. The total area of the model is 76.4 square meters, The model was built by carpenters at the Model Workshop of the City of Reykjavík: Axel Helgason, Árni Hreidar Árnason, Jónas Magnússon, Kristján Sigurðsson, Sigurður Halldórsson; and painted by Sigurður Pálsson.

Source: visitreykjavik.is

MrIdea

July 22, 2023

This is where the Icelandic Parliament meets.

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Thorsten🥾🚴🏻‍♂️

June 16, 2024

Beautiful, historic building - worth seeing 💯👍🏻☺️

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Bumble-Bee

May 19, 2025

The building immediately stands out on the square and exudes a certain authority—architecturally well-executed. A look into the garden behind the building is also worthwhile.

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Elevation 10 m

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Location: Reykjavík, Iceland

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Alþingi — Parliament of Iceland

1. The Unknown Bureaucrat – Tjörnin Lake loop from Litli Skerjafjörður

2. Café Babalú – Reykjavík Cathedral loop from Reykjavik

3. The Unknown Bureaucrat – Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre loop from Hlemmur

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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