The Settlement Exhibition

If you're at all interested in history, this is an absolute must-see. Back in 2001, a company preparing to build a hotel on this spot in Downtown Reykjavik uncovered the remains of what is believed to be the first settlement in Iceland. How crazy is that? Construction stopped, of course, and a museum was built around the artifacts so as to preserve and display one of the most important pieces of Iceland's history.The museum itself is actually underground-- they literally built a bunker around the settlement site. You'll find the actual site open for all to see, as well as a wealth of information and interactive displays on everything from local wildlife at the time to a really neat exhibit on how the Icelandic language has evolved from its split with the other Nordic countries.

The first settlers came to Reykjavik around the year 871. This exhibition is built around an old hall which was recently excavated and turned out to be the oldest man-made structure found in Iceland so far. Sounds boring? Then try out the various multimedia tables that bring the hall to life by using 3D computer imagery. This is hands on history that is fun at the same time, using the state of the art technology of a very new museum.

Grate museum to see how all began..

Interesting if somewhat small museum. Definitely very informative about the culture and history of Iceland. Worth a visit.

Archaeological museum based around a 10th century Viking Longhouse uncovered in the centre of Reykjavik. It gives a fascinating insight into Viking life.