The Western Fjords

The town of Ísafjörður (Icelandic for "Ice Fjord") lies deep within the fjords of the northwestern corner of Iceland. We spent the morning sailing through them. Lunch was a barbecue on deck, then we went ashore to explore the town.


This large fjord cuts deep into the land. Ísafjörður is on a smaller branch fjord.
Even though we are in late July, there is still snow on the ground, feeding many small waterfalls.
Isolated settlements showed up occasionally. I need a picture of a pioneer woman shading her eyes and watching the big, white cruise ship glide by.

This is not diamond head. It has a window at the base.
Ísafjörður is built on a spit of land that forms a natural harbor behind it.

The Town

Ísafjörður is a very pleasant small city. We strolled from the port to the center of town.


While our Prisendam was the biggest thing in town, everything was dwarfed by the surrounding cliffs.
This old truck advertised the Old Bakery.

Corrugated iron was one of the common building materials.

Modern buildings stood in among the older ones.
The Church was in use for a funeral, so we were unable to see the interior.

Ísafjörður was a fishing center, and this statue pays tribute to that industry,
The old hospital was replaced with a large modern one. The old one became the library and cultural center.
When it was built in 1925, this was the largest hospital in Iceland. That's Marie way up on top.

The historical exhibits were mixed in with the library books.
The top floor retained some fittings from the old hospital as exhibits.

West Fjords Heritage Museum

Out by the wharf is the West Fjords Heritage Museum a collection of old buildings that house the Maritime Museum. It houses a very nice exhibit on the history of fishing. There is a fascinating film about a day at sea in an open boat with old-time fishermen.