Siglufjordur (Siglufjörður) Herring History
Siglufjordur (Siglufjörður) Herring History
Flanked by impossibly steep mountains and wedged into a tight fjord, Siglufjörður was for years the centre of herring fishing in Iceland. In the 1950's its population peaked at 3,100 but today there are just 1,200 inhabitants.
Recently, massive investment in new facilities has given the town a face lift. A new tunnel linking the town with Ólafsfjörður allows for a circular drive around the Tröllaskagi Peninsula, making Siglufjörður an appealing destination for visitors.
Its museum is dedicated to herring, the ‘silver darlings’, and worth a visit. The exhibits, which trace the history of herring fishing and processing, are housed in a cluster of several buildings.
At the 'boathouse', ships and boats lie by the pier, recreating a 1950’s harbour atmosphere. In good weather during summer, you can watch the herring salting; an accordion player provides music and there is dancing on the pier. In 'Grána', the story of herring meal processing is told.
Siglufjörður's new dockside hotel has been sympathetically designed in keeping with traditional architecture. A cluster of cafés, bars and restaurants line the dock, where you'll observe local fisherman at work.