Take a walk down memory lane in downtown Reykjavík

One of our favourite things to do on a good day is to take a walk in Reykjavík’s downtown area. The city centre is filled with shops and restaurants, and the colourful neighbour-hoods of Reykjavík are just a few steps away. You can even enjoy amazing street art and galleries, beautiful old houses, landmarks and parks rich with history along the way.

One of the things we enjoy in our regular walks, is to find new streets and houses we haven't seen before. Although the downtown area is not that big, the surrounding neighbourhoods are definitely worth checking out as well.

This type of walk can be done as slowly or as quickly as your itinerary allows. So, take a self-guided walking tour in Reykjavik, and enjoy all that Reykjavík has to offer with a good takeaway coffee like a true Icelander.

 

There are many old, renovated houses in the neighbourhoods surrounding Reykjavík’s city centre.

 

Alþingi, the Icelandic parliament, is located in the building on the right. Iceland has the oldest parliament in the world dating back to the year 930 AD when it was formed in Thingvellir. In 1881, Althingi moved into the house it is in today.

 

Visit the shops and restaurants along the way.

 

In recent years, the streets of downtown Reykjavík have been filled up with ambitious murals of different styles and themes. Many have become well-known landmarks that both locals and visitors seek out.

 

Most of the street art in Reykjavík is part of a project called Wall Poetry.