Raufarhöfn (Rauf means a long fissure, höfn means port) is the northernmost village on the island Iceland, with a population of less than 200. A charming place – but you have to put up with some wind. Due to the good harbor conditions, this has been a popular meeting spot and place of trade ever since the colonial era.
Anyway, there was almost no increase in the population until herring fishing started around 1960. For a period, Raufarhöfn was Iceland’s largest herring town, with up to 11 salting stations in operation at the same time. About 10 % of the country’s income came from herring work at Raufarhöfn, and the population of six hundred could increase to four thousand people during the fishery. But then, in 1967, the herring disappeared, and Raufarhöfn became more or less a ghost town. Today, the village is categorized as an endangered settlement.
Despite (or perhaps because of?) the limited amount of people, the construction of a very ambitious sculpture park in Raufarhöfn has surprisingly been started: Heimskautsgerðið (The Arctic Henge). The work is inspired by norse literature: ‘Voluspå‘ and Snorre Sturlasson’s ‘Edda‘. It is made by a collaboration between Erling Torodssen and Haukur Halldórsson. By now, this is a futuristic Stonehenge.
When finished (if it ever is, they lack financing right now), it will look like a small Colosseum, with a stone wall around it all. But even now (2021): as an unfinished work, this is both beautiful and fascinating. And huge! We are talking about a diameter of 50 m and up to 10 m high columns. The arches are positioned so that the sun can be seen through them at the winter and summer solstice. Eventually, in the Heimskautsgerðið, you will find the yearly calendar personified by 72 dwarfs, where each dwarf spans over 5 days. Be impressed!
From the majestic sculpture park, it’s a nice little walk down to the harbor in Raufarhöfn. Here you will find a beautiful beach with a mix of light and dark sand, and large wardrobe rocks.
A bath in Raufarhöfn is just right!
