Borgarfjörður Eystri (also known as Bakkagerði) is a charming fishing village situated on a grassy valley along a short wide fjord of the same name. It is one of Iceland’s supreme hiking areas with magnificent colourful mountains, beautiful rocks and rare stones.
The area’s flowering plants may be the most beautiful and diverse in Iceland. Other selling points include puffin watching, legends about hidden elves, and ethereal rhyolite peaks.
Borgarfjörður Eystri is the birthplace of Iceland’s beloved painter, Jóhannes Kjarval. A monument dedicated to Kjarval stands by the main road just outside the village. In addition, you can visit a small exhibition in about Kjarval in the local community centre. The local church also displays a magnificent altarpiece Kjarval created in 1914.
Home of the Elf Queen
The village is small yet beautiful. The town gets its name from a rock outcroup called Álfaborg (the Elf Rock or Elf Castle). Some locals believe that the Elf Queen lives in it. The locals often advise visitors to pay the Queen their respects when in the area.
Bræðslan music festival
Since 2004, a music festival called Bræðslan takes place in the summer in Borgarfjörður Eystri. Every year it attracts as many as 2.000 guests. The festival hosts both local and international bands. Some past participants have included Belle and Sebastian, Of Monsters and Men, and Damien Rice.
Hiking in Borgarfjörður Eystri
Borgarfjörður Eystri is a paradise for hikers, with dozens of well-marked hiking routes in the area. The mountains vary in shape and size. They display all the colours of Icelandic nature, from black sand beaches and green valleys to the pinkish tone of the mountain ridges.
The locals have created a series of excellent marked hiking trails. You can pick up a copy of the hiking map from from local tourist businesses in Borgarfjörður Eystri and the information centres in Egilsstaðir and Seðisfjörður.
Puffin watching in Borgarfjörður Eystri
Borgarfjörður Eystri is an excellent spot for birdwatching, and it has become one of the most popular places to see puffins. There is an excellent viewing platform where you can look for puffins. Over twenty bird species have been sighted here at once. Aside from puffins, you can expect to see a number of duck species and moorland birds, geese, divers, swans, and skuas.
