Other places of interest in the area Latrabjarg ,  Raudasandur ,  Orlygshofn ,  Hnjotur Museum ,  Bird life and good areas for birdwatching

Other places of interest in the area Latrabjarg ,  Raudasandur ,  Orlygshofn ,  Hnjotur Museum ,  Bird life and good areas for birdwatching

The Folk Museum at Hnjótur was opened in June 1983. There you will find many remarkable items from old times, demonstrating means of occupation and survival, on land as well as sea, through the ages. Some of these are related to gathering of eggs in Látrabjarg, and there is a special section displaying the rescue of seamen in great danger. In the museum there are a few boats as well and equipment for whale-hunting. At Hnjótur there is also an Aviation Museum displaying remarkable items related to the history of flying in Iceland. No one traveling in the south region of the Westfjords should miss the opportunity to visit the Folk Museum at Hnjótur. In the museum you will also find a nice café.

Tel: (+354) 456 1511
museum@hnjotur.is
www.hnjotur.is
Open: May 25 - September 15, daily 10-18. At other seasons open upon request, tel. (+354) 456 1569 or (+354)896 5363.
Other places of interest in the area Latrabjarg ,  Raudasandur ,  Latravik (Latrabjarg) ,  Breidavik ,  Kollsvik ,  Haenuvik ,  Orlygshofn

Other places of interest in the area Latrabjarg ,  Raudasandur ,  Orlygshofn

Other places of interest in the area Latrabjarg ,  Raudasandur ,  Orlygshofn ,  Hnjotur Museum ,  Bird life and good areas for birdwatching

Latrabjarg, the westernmost point of Europe, is the home of one of the worlds biggest Black Guillemot bird colonies. Up to 444 m high, the cliffs are occupied by millions of Puffins, Gannets, Guillemots and Razorbills. Enjoy this unforgettable bird cliff on the edge of the world with white sand beaches and Snaefellsjokull glacier in the distance. 

Latrabjarg is 14 kilometres long and reaches 444 metres high at Heidnakinn. It is one of the world’s greatest bird cliffs, with what is thought to be the largest razorbill colony on earth. Large numbers of other species including fulmars, kittiwakes, guillemots and puffins nest and breed on the cliff. In centuries past, the cliff was a major local source of food. Farmers would catch birds and gather eggs from its face, risking their lives as they dangled precariously over the cliff top from slender ropes. Up to 36.000 birds a year were caught there and countless eggs collected. Hay was even made on its steep slopes and in its deep valleys. Eggs are still collected from the cliff today, partly to keep the alive this tradition that has been handed from one generation to the next for centuries. 

One of the bravest rescue operations in Iceland’s history was undertaken beneath Latrabjarg when the British trawler Dhoon stranded beneath the 200-metre Baejarbjarg in frost and fierce weather in December 1947. Local farmers saved the lives of 14 crew members by scaling down the sheer icy cliff under treacherous conditions.

A walk along Latrabjarg cliff edge is just as remarkable for the minute subtleties of the teeming life that fidgets and flutters on every ledge as for the awesomeness of nature’s grandeur.

Other places of interest in the area Raudasandur ,  Orlygshofn ,  Hnjotur Museum ,  Bird life and good areas for birdwatching ,  Latravik (Latrabjarg) ,  Keflavik ,  Breidavik ,  Kollsvik ,  Haenuvik ,  Orlygshofn

Other places of interest in the area Latrabjarg ,  Orlygshofn ,  Hnjotur Museum ,  Bird life and good areas for birdwatching

Other places of interest in the area Latrabjarg ,  Raudasandur ,  Latravik (Latrabjarg) ,  Keflavik ,  Breidavik ,  Kollsvik ,  Haenuvik ,  Orlygshofn

Other places of interest in the area Latrabjarg ,  Raudasandur ,  Orlygshofn ,  Hnjotur Museum ,  Bird life and good areas for birdwatching

Rauðasandur is a golden red sand beach in the Latrabjarg area. Enlivened by countless numbers of seabirds and seals, Raudasandur offers a spectacular view. Snæfellsjökull glacier imperiously rivets your attention in the background. Other places of interest in the area Latrabjarg ,  Orlygshofn ,  Hnjotur Museum ,  Keflavik ,  Breidavik ,  Kollsvik ,  Haenuvik ,  Orlygshofn

In the spring of 2008 the Vatneyri Pirate house in Patreksfjörður opened for the first time. The idea of the Pirate house is based on old stories of pirates that raided the Icelandic shoreline in the 15th and 16th century. In the pirate exhibition these old stories will be displayed in various ways in order to recreate the atmosphere and experience of both the pirates and their victims.
The Pirate House project is a new and exciting project, which is not built over night. It will gradually develop over the next few year, starting with the first section opening summer of 2008 with a Coffee house, Art&Culture shop and first phase of the exhibition. In the spring of 2009 the exhibition will be extended, where the pirates theme will be completed with extensive outdoor activities outside the exhibition.

Location: Vatneyri, Patreksfjordur
Tel.: (+354) 456-1133
www.sjoraeningjahusid.is
Please see the website for information on opening hours.  Other places of interest in the area