Alþingishúsið — Iceland's Parliament House
Four mythic beasts carved above the windows have guarded this dolerite parliament since 1881.
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Designed by Ferdinand Meldahl and cut from local Icelandic dolerite, this single compact building was constructed in 1880–1881 as parliament and, while serving that role, has also housed the national library, national gallery, university, and the president's offices over the decades. It stands directly on Austurvöllur square and takes two minutes to circle on foot.
What to look for
- Tympanum reliefs on the four outermost first-floor windows — a dragon, a vulture, a giant, and a bull, the four landvættir of Iceland
- The dark hewn dolerite stone the entire exterior is cut from
- Austurvöllur square directly in front, the civic heart the building anchors
Central Reykjavík on Austurvöllur; exterior is always accessible — confirm interior hours with parliament before visiting.
Alþingishúsið — Iceland's Parliament House is one of 17 sights worth the detour in Reykjavik, all bundled offline in Voyage GO — download the Reykjavik pack and it sits on your map with no signal, filling your travel passport the moment you walk past.
More to see in Reykjavik
- HallgrímskirkjaA 74-metre church modeled on Iceland's volcanic basalt columns — 41 years in the making, visible from nearly anywhere in the city.
- Icelandic Phallological MuseumOne exhibit needs a magnifying glass; another once measured 170 cm. Both are real.
- LaugardalsvöllurThe city that dreamed of a sporting venue in 1871 — when Reykjavík held just 2,000 people — finally opened a football stadium here in 1959.
- National Museum of IcelandA carved wooden door where a knight slays a dragon and gains a lion as his companion — and that is the headline object.
- Bessastaðir — Presidential ResidenceSnorri Sturluson farmed here in the 1200s. Turkish slave raiders attacked in 1627. Today the president of Iceland calls it home.
- Imagine Peace TowerA column of light rises 4,000 metres into the Arctic sky from a wishing well on a small island — Yoko Ono's memorial to John Lennon, running on geothermal power.