Saga, Culture and Art

All types of craft and design have become popular all over the country. The variety is quite remarkable and it´s safe to say that the local´s creative spirit is very active. Craft and design products are sold at special markets, specialty stores or via the artist websites.

There is no shortage of different kinds of exhibitions, all over the country. They are dedicated to anything from toys to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Art exhibitions also vary greatly and may be found in all sorts of places.

Museums: Iceland has all kinds of museums. Most of them are pretty standard but others are dedicated to more abstract things, such as ghosts and other curious phenomena.

Hosting all kinds of cultural events and educational programs for people of all ages. Cultural centers are located in most parts of the country.

The locals in West Iceland are proud of their history and eager to introduce visitors to their art of storytelling, poems, and sagas stretching back to the Viking Age. 

You can visit beautiful places and landmarks in West Iceland with historical values.

West Iceland – The Sagaland Where stories live in the landscape Iceland has an extraordinary tradition of storytelling. For centuries, stories of people, places, journeys, conflict, everyday life and imagination were passed from one generation to the next. During the Middle Ages, many of these stories were written down, copied and preserved in manuscripts. West Iceland played an important part in this tradition, and many of Iceland’s best-known sagas are written in or closely connected to the region, including Egils Saga, Laxdæla Saga, Eyrbyggja Saga and Eiríks Saga Rauða. Discover West Iceland through stories Watch the video and get a glimpse of how sagas, folklore, history and landscapes come together in West Iceland — a region where stories are not only remembered, but still connected to real places. What does West Iceland Sagaland stand for? Sagas West Iceland is closely connected to some of Iceland’s best-known sagas, including Egils Saga, Laxdæla Saga, Eyrbyggja Saga and the stories of Eiríkur rauði. Landscape The mountains, valleys, farms, rivers and coastlines of West Iceland are not simply a backdrop — they are part of the stories themselves. Folklore The region is rich in tales of outlaws, elves, trolls, local legends and stories about how people have lived with the land and sea through the centuries. Living heritage The stories are still connected to real places that travellers can visit today — farms, churches, paths, valleys and historic sites. Snorri Sturluson and the written heritage One of the most important figures in Iceland’s literary history came from West Iceland. Snorri Sturluson, born at Hvammur in Dalir and later based at Reykholt in Borgarfjörður, was a writer, poet, historian and powerful political figure of the 13th century. Through works such as the Prose Edda and Heimskringla, Snorri played a major role in preserving knowledge of Norse mythology, poetry and the history of the medieval Nordic world. Thanks to this remarkable writing and manuscript tradition, stories that might otherwise have disappeared can still be read today. Eiríkur rauði and the journeys west The story of Eiríkur rauði is strongly connected to West Iceland. At Eiríksstaðir in Haukadalur in Dalir, visitors can explore the story of Eiríkur, his family and the journeys that later connected Iceland, Greenland and Vinland. This connection makes Dalir an important part of the wider Sagaland story — a place where Icelandic saga heritage, exploration and real historic landscapes come together. Sagas connected to West Iceland Egils Saga A powerful story of poetry, conflict and family honour, strongly connected to Borgarfjörður and the life of Egill Skallagrímsson. Laxdæla Saga A saga of love, family, honour and conflict, rooted in Dalir and the landscapes around Hvammur, Hjarðarholt and nearby valleys. Eyrbyggja Saga Strongly tied to Snæfellsnes, this saga brings together settlement history, chieftains, supernatural events and dramatic coastal landscapes. Eiríks Saga Rauða The story of Eiríkur rauði is connected to Dalir and to the wider story of exploration across the North Atlantic, linking Iceland, Greenland and Vinland. Travel through the stories As you travel through West Iceland, the stories can help you see the landscape differently. A farm becomes the home of a saga character. A mountain carries an old legend. An ancient path becomes part of a story that has travelled through centuries. The storytelling did not end with the sagas. Local history, folklore and oral traditions continue to shape the way people understand the region. Why The Sagaland? West Iceland is known as The Sagaland because landscape, history and storytelling are deeply connected here. It is a place where stories are not only found in books, but in valleys, farms, churches, mountains, rivers and coastal paths. In West Iceland, you do not just read the stories — you travel through them.

Located at most of the larger and more popular nature sites, museums andcultural establishments, visitor centers provide information and the chance to purchasesouvenirs.