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EAST ICELAND

Borgarfjordur Eystri is a small v-shaped inlet or fjord facing the open sea. Its shores are dotted with small houses, and on one side rests the serene little village of Bakkageroi. The main industries in the area are inshore fishing and small-scale farming, as well as tourism, which is expanding each year. The locals here are renowned for their hospitality.

The surrounding landscape creates strikingly beautiful and diverse scenes, with interplay of colours in basalt and rhyolite mountains. The overall impression is that of great beauty and variety.

Just above the village is Alfaborg, known in Iceland as "the capital of elves and fairies". This is a nature reserve with easy walking paths throughout. Running inland from the coast is a valley about 10 km in length, from which several other valleys branch off. All offer breathtaking vistas and views. The renowned Icelandic painter Johannes S. Kjarval was raised in these lovely surroundings and many of them are reflected in his paintings. Kjarvalsstofa is locaded in the community hall Fjaroarborg.

Borgarfjorour eystri is also renowned for its beautiful stones, pebbles and minerals.

This area - Borgarfjorour and its surroundings, along with nearby bays and fjords - is a hiker's dream. Favoured hiking paths in the area are Borgarfjorour-Loomundarfjorour (4-6 hours) Mt. Hvitserkur (1-2 hours) Storurd, west of Dyrfjoll mountains (7-10 hours) and Vikur (1-3 days), among others. Stakkahlío in Loomundarfjorour provides sleeping bag accommodation. In Loomundarfjorour one also finds thousands of nesting eider ducks, possibly some reindeer and most definitely semi-wild horses grazing in the fertile valley.

Borgarfjorour eystri and the surrounding area is an excellent choice for tourists who wish to experience unspoiled wilderness and pristine landscape.

Sights

Borgarfjörður is reputed to be the home of some of the largest colonies of hidden people in Iceland.

On the outskirts of the village rises a large hill called Álfaborg, The City of the fairies which the fjord Borgarfjörður takes its name after.

Álfaborg is the Capital of elves and fairies and is held to be inhabited by the hidden people and their queen.

An easy path leads to the top of the hill, where there is a panoramic viewpoint.

Álfaborg and environs are protected national property.

Not far from Álfaborg, just outside the village, stands the church Bakkagerðiskirkja.

Formerly, the church stood at Desjarmýri, the present building being consecrated in 1901.

The church boasts an exceedingly remarkable altarpiece, painted by Jóhannes Sveinsson Kjarval in 1914.

Christ is depicted during the Sermon on the Mount, standing atop Álfaborg with the Dyr Mountains in the background.

This piece is one of Kjarval's most famous works, with most tourists visiting Borgarfjörður coming to look at it.

At Hafnarhólmi, the environmental friendly harbor, there is an excellent birdwatching platform where puffins, gulls and kittiwakes can be seen.

Hafnarhólmi is the current fishing harbor for the locality.

In the year 1997, the platform and stairway were put into use on the islet to provide refuge for the birds.

Admission to the platform is restricted as follows:

In May there is no admission because the birds are nesting.

In June July the platform is open 11 a.m. 7 a.m.

In August is the admission unlimited.

You will not regret a visit to Hafnarhólmi for bird watching opportunities as well as the stunning view.

Varying sources recount the origin of this cross.

In short, according to the story of Naddi in the folk tales of Jón Árnason,

a farmer from Borgarfjörður had to go to Njarðvík and on his way ended up fighting

with Naddi, who was "an evil spirit in the shape of an animal above waist,

but of a man below."

He was called Naddi because of the gnawing (nadda in Icelandic)

sound he made while moving.

Naddi and the farmer wrestled for a long time, but after having solemnly sworn to raise "

a monument to honor the Lord's protection," the farmer managed to heave Naddi into the sea.

From then on there's been a cross beside the road, renovated at the middle of this century.

On the cross there's an inscription in Latin reading as follows:

Thou that walks by, please kneel and revere this reminder of Christ. Anno 1306