On our October trip to Iceland, I had planned to stop in Borgarnes to rest, walk around and find all of the cairns, and grab lunch. As is typical with Iceland, the weather had other plans for us. While we did have the right gear, we didn’t really feel like walking in blowing snow and ice. I knew the Settlement Center was in Borgarnes, but I didn’t necessarily have it on my itinerary. We decided to go give it a look, and it turned out to be one of the best museums we visited during the trip! One quick note about accessibility: there are stairs to get to the exhibits, and both tours were audio tours. Please check with the museum if you have concerns.
We did not book tickets in advance, and the cost was about $25 USD per person for both exhibits. We viewed both the Settlement and the Egils Saga exhibitions, and each one took around 30-45 minutes. The audio tours are available in multiple languages, as well. While we waited for a group ahead of us, we looked around the entrance and gift shop. This area is built around the rocks, and we could see the snow falling inside. It was really relaxing. The gift shop had a great selection of books, souvenirs, clothing, and other items.
Both exhibitions were packed with history, tales, and interactive exhibits. The Settlement Exhibition tells about the history of Iceland and her people. We pretended we were on boats, navigating with only the sun. We walked through dense forests that existed on Iceland before the trees were all cut down. We learned a lot about the geography of Iceland, as well. You can choose to end your time at the museum after this exhibit, or you can continue downstairs to learn of the saga of Egill Skalla-Grimmson.
The Egil Saga Exhibition follows one clan in the early history of Iceland. Egil is a colorful character, and this saga has something for everyone. Sports? You got it. Witchcraft? You bet! Death, magic, love, power, this saga has it all. The exhibit doesn’t just tell a fascinating story, it uses unusual and creative artworks to entrance you, scare you, disgust you, and make you wonder at the folklore and history that weave together in this unforgettable tale.
Borgarnes is very convenient to Reykjavík, and it is on the way to or from the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. There are plenty of places to stop in this town, too. Like I said, we intended to walk and find the cairns in the area, but we weren’t up for the weather this day. I do recommend if you are interested in Icelandic history that you put The Settlement Center at the top of your list of museums to visit during your stay. We stayed about an hour and a half, saw both exhibits, and had plenty of time to look around the gift shop.