Sólfar, or Sun Voyager

Reykjavik's most famous sculpture, the Sun Voyager, was designed in the mid-1980s to commemorate the bicentenary of the city's constitution.  Its architect, Jón Gunnar Árnason, designed a simple yet elegant steel sculpture reminiscent of a Viking ship, honouring Iceland's history and seafaring tradition. The sculptor also wanted every person who came to Reykjavik to see this metal ship and imagine where they could travel with it.

Where is the Sun Voyager?

Today, the Sólfar statue is located to the north of the Icelandic capital on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. However, the artist's original location was very different: on a hilltop to the west of the city near Lake Tjörnin, representing the journey that the sun makes every day from east to west.

It was moved to its current location to be closer to make the most of the seafront landscapes. It has become one of the most photographed places in Reykjavik, both for the structure itself and for the views behind it: on clear days you can even see the Snaefellnes Peninsula.