Iceland: Beautiful Historic Churches

Vidimyrakirkja (Turf Church), Northern Iceland

Vidimyrakirkja Entrance

Glaumbaejarkirkja (Glaumbaer Church), Northern Iceland

Glaumbaejarkirkja Inside

Glaumbaejarkirkja Wooden Pipe Organ

Thingeyrarkirkja (Stone Church), Northern Iceland

Thingeyrarkirkja Stone Entrance

Thingeyrarkirkja Historic Altar

Thingeyrarkirkja Blue Ceiling with Gold Stars

Hallgramskirkja, Reykjavik

Kalfatjarnarkirkja, Near Reykjavik

Kalfatjarnarkirkja View of Whale Bone and Coast

Utskalakirkja, Near Reykjavik

Utskalakirkja Cemetery Ship’s Propeller Memorial

Utskalakirkja Cemetery Ship’s Wheel Memorial

Hvalneskirkja, Near Reykjavik

Hvalneskirkja Entrance

Strandarkirkja (Beach or Miracle Church), South Coast

Strandarkirkja Inside

Strandarkirkja Star Patterned Ceiling

Strandarkirkja Beaded Angel Tapestry

Strandarkirkja Foot-High Elf Houses

Lava Gravestone with Birds in Cemetery at Strandarkirkja Church

Vikurkirkja, South Coast
Every town in Iceland, no matter how small or isolated, seems to have its own historic church. Usually it is perched high on a hill or overlooking the water. We loved the attention to detail and beauty of these unique churches. Some of the buildings are made of concrete or colorful corrugated iron to withstand the harsh weather and winter wind; others are made of stone or turf (sod). Christianity was adopted in this country around 1000 AD, and 80% of the population is Lutheran. That said, Icelanders are free thinking and embrace people of all faiths. “Kirkja” at the end of a word means “church” in Icelandic. Click on any of these pictures to bring up further details and traveling advice.
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Such a beautiful place! Thank you for sharing your gorgeous images. 🙂
Lindy
That’s such a nice thing to say! 🙂
I just love the elegant simplicity of so many of these churches, Pam. Do they do the turf roofs strictly for insulation, or is there another reason? And of course my favorites are the Strandarkirkja Foot-High Elf Houses. 🙂 ~Terri
They were really beautiful. I loved the blue ceiling with gold stars, and their locations were inspiring. The turf is used mainly for insulation, and also reflects the lack of readily available building materials (there aren’t many trees in Iceland). And who wouldn’t like the elf houses – so excited to see them!