If you fancy a pleasant stroll in Reykjavík, there are few better places than Tjörnin Pond in the heart of the city.
Lined by a stone walkway and colorful houses on the western shore, families gather here to feed the ducks, geese, swans, Arctic terns and other birds found frolicking in the small lake.
During winter, the natural pond freezes over and becomes a popular place for ice-skating and ice-hockey. Famous buildings located on Tjörnin Pond are the Iðnó Theatre (which also has a café) and Reykjavík City Hall.
Tjörnin – ‘the world’s largest bread soup’
Tjörnin Pond is actually a small lagoon next to a barrier beach. The lagoon was part of a reef that existed at the present location of Hafnarstræti Street. The pond is home to some 40-50 different species of water birds, and it is a favorite among Reykjavík’s children, who like to feed the birds with bread. Due to this popular activity, the locals often refer to the lake as “the world’s largest bowl of bread soup”.
Tjörnin Pond and Reykjavík City Hall
Prominent in one corner of the lake is Reykjavík’s City Hall that looks as though it is rising from the lake. Tjörnin Pond is also a part of the Vatnsmýrin reserve, a protected moorland in Reykjavík that stretches from the Nordic House northwards to Tjörnin. Vatnsmýrin (which translates as the “Water Marsh”) is the water source for Tjörnin and the nesting ground for many species of water birds.
GPS: 64.14362 N, -21.942018 W
