The Saltfish Museum shows you the history of this traditional method of preserving fish. Saltfish is undeniably responsible for the prosperity of the Icelandic nation, particularly during the late 19th and early 20th century when the industry was at its peak.
The Icelandic Saltfish Museum located near the Grindavik harbor vividly recreates the atmosphere of an Icelandic fishing village from the 1930’s in a natural setting.
Why was saltfish so important?
In the late 19th century, salted fish was to Iceland what oil is to many countries in the Arabian peninsula. Furthermore, the image of a golden cod was on Iceland‘s original coat of arms.
Starting in the 18th century when deck ships began to replace rowing ships, salted cod became Iceland’s main export. Until then, wading and crawling had been the basis of foreign trade. With the advent of trawlers, salted cod processing became an important industry. Salted cod still plays a significant role as an Icelandic export.
You can learn more about the industry that is an important element in Iceland‘s economic development and prosperity. The Saltfish Museum takes you through the history of the salted cod and lets you experience the journey of all the stages involved to make and transport the product.
