The Settlement Exhibition

In 2001, an excavation in central Reykjavik revealed the ruin of a Viking home, thought to be one of the first houses on the island. Today, it has been converted into The Settlement Exhibition: an interactive museum dedicated to the first settlers in Icelandic history.

The Settlement Exhibition, known in Icelandic as Landnámssýningin, is a modern, interactive museum in the heart of Reykjavik, built upon the ruins of an old Viking house. This building was recently discovered in 2001, and the decision was subsequently made to build a museum around it.

Thanks to the free audio guide, information panels in English and Icelandic and the museum's audiovisual systems, visitors are transported back in time to the 9th century, when the first settlers are thought to have arrived in Iceland. Multimedia exhibits allow visitors to compare Viking culture with other North Atlantic nations, as well as learn how the historic settlers lived here.

A visit to The Settlement Exhibition is a fascinating way to learn about the history of Iceland, both thanks to the information and objects on display and to the archaeological site on which the museum is located.