Bjarg Borgarnes

Originally the home of Skalla-Grimur, father of Egill, hero of Egil´s Saga. Its full name means "rock in the marshes".

The farmstead was defined by Kveld-Ulfur, Egill Skalla-Grimsson's grandfather, who got on the wrong side of King Harald Fairhair of Norway and fled to Iceland.

As they approached Iceland on their way from Norway, Kveld-Ulfur became ill and knew he would die. He instructed his son to make a coffin for him, place his body in it and throw it overboard. The son was to select the site for the family farm where the coffin washed ashore. This happened to be at Borg, where Egill's father settled and raised his family.

Today you can see a small church, the large rock that gave the place its name and an interesting sculpture at Borg by Asmundur Sveinsson commemorating Egil´s poem, Loss of a Son. A thoughtful reflection on the emptiness he felt after his son's death.

Bjossarolo is a playground for children in Borgarnes, not far from Edduveröld or the Settlement Centre .

It was constructed by Bjorn Gudmundsson, a man who was ahead of his time and thought about recycling. He used exclusively things that had been thrown away to build up this special place. At the playground there are for example swings, slides, an old boat, a castle and a lot more in a hollow enclosed by rocks not far from the sea.

And on going there you could look for shells or nice stones on the beach. The small, but very pretty park Skallagrimsgardur is not far away. There you can even find the grave of a saga hero!

Brakarey is connected to the mainland by a bridge. The island was named after Egill's nanny and Skalla-Grimur´s slave Thorgerdur brak, after Skalla-Grimur killed her and she drowned in the sea near it. From the island is a great view over Borgarfjord.

The mountain Hafnarfjall near Borgarnes is part of the same extinguished central volcano as Skardsheidi and is also about 4 million years old.

The mountain is 844 m in height and its sides are rather eroded. Most of the mountain consists of basalt, but on the north side there is a small crag, which is made of granofyr. The name "flatfish" indicates its form. Let the children discover it!

On the foot of the mountain is a small forest of birch trees where the authorities of Iceland practice reforestation. It is possible to hike up the mountain beginning near the bridge over the fjord at Borgarnes.

Einkunnir is a 270 ha country park, protected for recreational use and the preservation of the typical landscape of the area. The areas' main characteristics are its rocky islands or bluffs that rise from the areas' vast flat wetlands.

Please follow the marked trails whenever possible. Do not drive off-road, damage geological formations or vegetation. Do not disturb the wildlife or light fires in vegetated areas. Please take your litter with you when you leave.

One of the men of saga hero Egill Skallagrímsson founded the rich farm of Hvanneyri at the time of settlement.

In today's village you may find the Agricultural University of Iceland which is very engaged in the protection of the environment.

Hvanneyri is also the siege of the Icelandic museum for Agriculture and Ullarselið, a wool shop.

In the springtime and autumn a lot of White-fronted Goose stay around the village, they are under protection in the area.

Skessu­horn (967 m) is a particularly impressive and outstanding peak when the range is viewed from the north. Skessu­horn is located in Borgarfjörður it takes 5-6 hours to hike the mountain and you will need good equipment.

Borgarfjarðarbrú is the second longest bridge in Iceland after Skeiðarárbrú. It crosses Borgarfjörður, linking Borgarnes to Route 1 (the Ring Road) and connecting the town with other parts of Iceland. It spans 520 m and was opened on 13 September 1981, with repairs being done in 2012. Before the bridge was opened, the Ring Road crossed the Hvítá river 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) upstream of its mouth into Borgarfjörður at the bridge at Ferjukot opened in 1928.

The Troll Waterfalls of the Grimsa river. There is a clear formation in the form of a troll face in the cliff by the river bank.

Take the troll walk and learn about trolls, folk tales and places that connect to the nature and scenery at Fossatun.

An extraordinary view and good spot to see the Skessuhorn mountain peak. Excellent for witnessing jumping salmon in the summer.

In the sports stadium, you will find both an outside and an inside swimming pool, hot tubs, a steam bath which is fed with steam straight from the Deildartunguhver hot spring, a children's pool and water slides. All in all, an excellent health spa.

In the heart of Borgarnes is Skallagrímsgarður, a small public park which is ideal for a picnic. The park plays an important role in Egil's Saga, as the burial mound of Skallagrímur Kveldúlfsson, Egil's father, is situated there. It is a good idea to relax in Skallagrímsgarður after a visit to Borgarnes swimming pool which is next to the park.