Hólmavík in the Westfjords Region of Iceland - the Sorcery Town!

The skull of the sea turtle

When the people in Hólmavík heard of this sea monster everybody left their workplace and ran towards the Kaupfélagsbryggja quay. Amongst them was the MD of the area and he pronounced the sea turtle to be just recently dead - and thoroughly intact.

The sea turtle weighed 375 kilos and was 2.03 meters long - really huge! It was put in the freezer of the freezing plant of Hólmavík and was later shown to people in Akranes and in Reykjavík in SW-Iceland. A couple of thousand people came to have a look at this rare find in Iceland!

The Icelandic Museum of Natural History bought the sea turtle. A casting was made of the sea turtle in Copenhagen which was on display at the Institute of Natural History.

The huge sea turtle

The sea-turtle found its way back to Hólmavík in 1998, when it was lent to the town for the exhibition Sea-monsters from the South-Seas - the sea-turtle adventure in Hólmavík 1963. 

You can find the sea-turtle cast and the remains of the sea-turtle on display at Þróunarsetur Hólmavíkur, which is right opposite the Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft.

Steinhúsið hotel in the centre of Hólmavík village

Our room at Steinhúsið

We stayed at Steinhúsið hotel for 2 nights. My husband was entertaining and teaching at the Cultural Festival for Children in the Westfjords for 3 days and we needed a place to stay in Hólmavík.

We opted for Steinhúsið as it is conveniently located in the centre of Hólmavík above the Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft, where we planned on having dinner during our stay.

Steinhúsið in Hólmavík

Steinhúsið is an old building, built in 1911 - the first concrete building in Hólmavík. The owners, two sisters, refurbished this old house in 2006-2010 and did a marvellous job. 

It has got a lovely feel to it, there are 5 double-rooms upstairs and one has to climb up a steep wooden staircase where the rooms are located. Our room was bright and lovely and beautifully decorated. 

The living room in Steinhúsið

There was a beautiful and bright kitchen on the ground floor and 2 living rooms with books and board games and jigsaw puzzles and everything you need to feel at home. It is like you sat down in somebody's living room and they just popped out.

We had a lovely and very relaxing time at the hotel.

Lovely little girl dresses on the walls

On the second floor, there was a big balcony overlooking the Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft and the ocean with a great view of the town.

Displayed on the walls of the hotel were lovely little girl dresses etc., which the proprietors found in the house while they were restoring it. A lovely idea to put them on the walls.

Hólmavíkurkirkja church

Hólmavíkurkirkja church

Hólmavíkurkirkja church is one of the landmarks of Hólmavík. It towers above the village on top of a hill. This modern-looking church was built from 1957-1968. I also visited the old church, which served Hólmavík, the church at Staður.

Staður is outside of Hólmavík, so it must have been nice for them to get a church right in the middle of the town. Below is a photo of the old church at Staður.

Staðakirkja church

I try to visit all the old country churches on my travels in Iceland. They are pure gems, which way too often are closed as they have been vandalized.

The interior of the new church is made of pine, quite lovely and gives the feeling of warmth. And the view from the church windows is fantastic.

Inside Hólmavíkurkirkja church

A former minister at the church wanted to block the view with stained glass windows, but the congregation disagreed as they did not want to lose the view. 

The altar and pulpit are also made of pine. There is no altarpiece, but a large wooden cross. It is quite a lovely Lutheran church.

The Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft

Lying on the floor by the zombie with the late curator of the museum, the sorcerer Sigurður

In Hólmavík you will find a very interesting museum, which is a must-visit while in this area. It attracts around 15,000 visitors annually, the late curator told me. The museum is called the Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft or Galdrasafnið in Icelandic. This museum is the main attraction of Hólmavík town.

It is not for the faint-hearted though as here you will, amongst other horrible things, see a zombie crawling out from his grave and the infamous necropants!

I have written another travel-blog about the museum with a lot of photos, as there is so much to see there. And there you will see photos of the necropants:

The Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft at Hólmavík in the Westfjords Region of Iceland

Hólmavík is located some 230 km away from Reykjavík. To visit Hólmavík you can rent a car in Reykjavík and drive to the Westfjords Region in 3 hours.

You will see this beautiful castle house on the way at Arngerðareyri

I would recommend a visit to the remote Strandir and the village Drangsnes before you continue on your journey.

The remote Strandir in the Westfjords Region of Iceland - Stillness & Sorcery 

Drangsnes at Strandir in the Westfjords Region of Iceland, the Troll and the Hot Tubs

The Mystical Sorcerer's Cottage in Bjarnarfjörður in the Westfjords Region of Iceland - Kotbýli kuklarans

Also don't miss Kirkjuból and the Sheep Farming Museum at Strandir in the Westfjords Region of Iceland

Whales just outside of Hólmavík

And you might spot some seals and whales as well in this area. I joined a whale watching tour of Steingrímsfjörður while visiting Hólmavík. 

Whale Watching from Hólmavík in the Westfjords Region with Láki Tours

If you are continuing your journey to the Westfjords from Hólmavík town then remember to fill up on gas here as there is no other gas-station until Súðavík village, which is 204 km away. 

I have written a series of travel-blogs in chronological order, about what there is to see and do on Djúpvegur road number 61 all the way to Bolungarvík village, where road number 61 ends.

A Visit to Reykjanes Geothermal Area in the Westfjords

Vatnsfjörður in the Westfjords - the Viking Estate and Grettisvarða Cairn

Litlibær Turf House on the Hvítanes Peninsula in the Westfjords of Iceland - a Cute little Turf House Café

The Cute Seals at Hvítanes in the Westfjords

A Visit to Súðavík Village and Langeyri in Álftafjörður in the Westfjords of Iceland

A delightful Visit to Ísafjörður - the Capital City of the Westfjords of Iceland

Have a lovely time in the beautiful Westfjords Region of Iceland :)