Glaumbaer (Glaumbær) Turf Farm
Glaumbaer (Glaumbær) Turf Farm
Glaumbaer is a magnificent example of a turf farm from the 18th and 19th centuries. This type of housing was universal in Iceland until around 1900 when it was gradually replaced by concrete, which is typical in most contemporary Icelandic buildings.
Many turf farms were abandoned and without upkeep, they soon disintegrated. A visiting Englishman, Mark Watson, came to Glaumbaer and fearing that it would suffer the same fate donated a sum of money for its upkeep.
The farm is now in the hands of the National Museum of Iceland and contains an impressive collection of memorabilia from all over the region. A visit here will help you appreciate how Icelanders lived during past centuries, though it is important to note that Glaumbaer was a parsonage and a wealthy farm.
There’s also a pretty church on the site. In the churchyard, you’ll find a sculpture of Guðridur Þorbjarnardóttir who in the 11th century travelled widely and gave birth to the first European born on the North American continent. Her story is told in the Vinland Sagas.
Visit the café on site where traditional baked goods, coffee and tea are served in a very homely living room. Toilets are in the car park.