The WWII Ruins of Reykjavik

A view of the city and of the past

On an island of lava and glaciers, the capital city of Iceland can look old and new and ageless, depending on where you are. The Hallgrímskirkja church spire looks like a rocketship and the downtown malls are black marble and glass; restaurants repurpose old postal buildings, brick rowhouses look like vague postwar Europe, and some buildings date to the mid-1700s. Not far from the dome of the Pearl is a park with hiking trails amidst the ruins of bunkers and defensive installations built during World War II to protect Iceland from invasion.

The remains of the bunkers, pillboxes, barrack emplacements, and fuel depot remain to keep watch over the city.

Iceland didn’t want to be protected. British troops landed in 1940 anyway, and occupied the island. The government protested but asked citizens to treat the Allies as guests. British and U.S. forces remained until 1947. Apparently the barracks were housed in these pits that look like quarries.

You come upon these ruins suddenly, when hiking in the park. The entrance above is behind a parking lot. I found my way in after visiting an Elf Stone outside a hotel, and met an Icelandic mountain biker on my way in. The trails are somewhat rough, and I found a bridge or balance beam that looked rather terrifying to contemplate:

I’ve seen some scary jump ramps at Ceres Park, but nothing like that in the States. The trails were well-worn and many went over large boulders to make it challenging, and if I lived there I would make great use of it for hiking and biking. But today I had a singularity of mind, to find as many of the WWII ruins as I could.

I climbed into the pillboxes to find graffiti and boulders left by vandals.

A pillbox from outside and inside.

The lichen-covered basaltic stones and glacial erratic boulders reminded me of northern New Jersey, which is littered with them. The park was quite beautiful, and the walls once used to keep civilians out now have asphalt on the top so you can walk along them:

I drew the line and entering the lightless bunkers where I heard water dripping inside. I didn’t have a flashlight, I was alone, and I found a jacket outside, so I had no idea if anyone was using one as a shelter. And frankly, they were spooky.

Two bunkers

You get a great view of the city from up there, and not far away is the beach, with a public hot spring, for a lovely lunchtime dip. Perfect after a hike or a bicycle ride, if you ask me.

I took a video of myself walking around the top of the ruins, if you are so inclined.

Iceland is full of wonders. I hope to return soon, to visit the eastern half of the island.

Previous Iceland posts:

Nice Land, Part One (volcanoes, waterfalls, and geysers)

The International Phallological Museum

Upcoming:

The Museum of Witchcraft and Sorcery

Elf Stones and the Blue Lagoon

The Recycled House