Bolungarvík (Icelandic pronunciation:[ˈpɔːluŋkarˌviːk]ⓘ, regionally also [-lʏŋk-]) is a small town and the only built-up area in the municipality of Bolungarvíkurkaupstaður in the northwest of Iceland, located on the Westfjordspeninsula, approximately 14 km (8.7 mi) from the town of Ísafjörður and 473 km (294 mi) from the capital city Reykjavík.[1]
Bolungarvík is close to abundant fishing grounds and has been used as an outpost for fishing since the 17th century, making it one of the earliest in Iceland.[2] The village was not accessible by road until 1950, and in 2010 the Bolungarvíkurgöng tunnel was opened under the Óshlíð mountain to bypass the old road, which was frequently subject to avalanches and rock falls.[3]
Tourist sites include the Ósvör Maritime Museum, featuring a restored 19th-century fishing hut, a natural history museum, which houses taxidermied animals including a polar bear and the biggest bird collection in Iceland, and an indoor swimming pool with outdoor hot tubs and a water slide. Skálavík bay can be reached by a gravel road from June through August, and that same road also leads to the top of the Bolafjall mountain (638 m.) with views of the village of Bolungarvík, the Latrar Air Station, the Ísafjarðardjúp fjord, the Jökulfirðir fjords, the Hornstrandir nature reserve and the Denmark Strait. The surroundings of Bolungarvík are destinations for hiking, horse riding, sea angling and birdwatching.[2]
History and folklore
According to Landnámabók, Þuríður Sundafyllir settled in Bolungarvík around 940 along with her brother Þjóðólfur. Folklore says they had a disagreement and put a spell on each other, as they were both skilled sorcerers. Þuríður laid on her brother that he would spend eternity as a monolith on which all birds would defecate. Þjóðólfur in turn hexed his sister that she would forever stand where the wind blows most. The pillar that was said to be Þuríður collapsed in half in 1936. The legend says that same night the cliff "Þjóðólfur" sank in the sea. That night their spell washed away into the sea.[4]
In popular fiction
Bolungarvík was the location for Nói Albínói, a movie by Dagur Kári about a disaffected teenager living in a remote Icelandic village.[5]
Based on the climate data for the most recent reference period, Bolungarvík has either a subarctic climate (Köppen: Dfc) or a subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc) bordering very closely on a Tundra climate (ET), depending on the isotherm used.
The weather station at the Galtarviti lighthouse near Bolungarvík has more detailed climate data, and features a mild tundra climate (ET) with abundant precipitation for the 1961-90 reference period.
Climate data for Galtarviti 14.1 km (8.8 mi) from Bolungarvík
