Information

on

Reykjavik

Reykjavík

is

home

to

about

190.000

inhabitants.

It

is

young,

lively

and

entertaining

city

with

lot

of

interesting

museums,

galleries

and

delightful

restaurants

and

cafés

where

one

can

sample

exotic

Icelandic

dishes

or

international

cuisine.

Among

the

highlights

in

the

city

are

The

National

museum,

the

Hallgrimskirka

church

Höfði

mansion,

Althingi

or

the

Parliament,

City

Hall,

the

fishing

harbour

and

The

Pearl,

an

observatory

with

fantastic

panorama

of

the

city.

After marvelling at Reykjavik’s museums and other tourist attractions, the thermal swimming pools are worth dipping into before returning to the hotel. The geothermal swimming pools have a controlled temperature that can reach as high as 44°C or 111°F during specific hours of the day.  
The beautiful landscape around Reykjavik and the numerous green areas within the city are perfect for all kinds of outdoor activities. Visitors to Reykjavik will be impressed by the city’s proximity to nature and struck by the cleanliness of the city itself. There are plenty of possibilities when planning outdoor activities during your stay in the capital.

Facts

about

Iceland

Image Added
Iceland is an island located in the North Atlantic Ocean between mainland Europe and Greenland with a total area of 103,000 km² (39,756 sq.miles).

Iceland's

population

is

around

313.000

of

which

the

vast

majority

or

around

2/3

lives

in

the

capital,

Reykjavik,

and

surrounding

areas.

Situated

on

the

Mid-Atlantic

Ridge,

Iceland

is

volcanically

and

geologically

active

on

a

large

scale.

30

post-glacial

volcanoes

have

erupted

in

the

past

two

centuries,

and

natural

hot

water

supplies

much

of

the

population

with

cheap,

pollution-free

heating.

The

interior

of

the

country

contains

stunning

contrasts.

The

country

is

largely

an

arctic

desert,

punctuated

with

mountains,

glaciers,

volcanoes

and

waterfalls.

Iceland

has

a

pure,

pollution-free

environment.

It

is

a

modern

European

economy

with

strong

economic

foundations

in

fisheries,

natural

renewable

energy

sources

and

human

capital.

Industry

is

operated

almost

exclusively

with

clean

hydroelectric

and

geothermal

power.

The

weather

in

Iceland

is

very

mild.

The

average

summer

temperature

in

Reykjavik

is

11.8°C/

53°F

in

July,

with

average

highs

of

24.3°C/76°F.

Icelandic

is

the

national

language

and

is

believed

to

have

changed

very

little

from

the

original

tongue

spoken

by

the

Norse

settlers.

It

is

one

of

the

Nordic

languages,

which

are

a

sub-group

of

the

Germanic

languages.

Iceland

is

alone

in

upholding

a

Norse

tradition,

i.e.

the

custom

of

using

patronymics

rather

than

surnames;

and

Icelander´s

Christian

name

is

followed

by

his

or

her

father´s

name

and

the

suffix

-son

or

-dóttir,

e.g.

Guðrún

Pétursdóttir

(Guðrún,

daughter

of

Pétur).

Members

of

a

family

can

therefore

have

many

different

"surnames",

which

sometimes

causes

confusion

to

foreigners.

English

and

Danish

are

widely

spoken

and

understood

in

Iceland.

Experience Iceland
Optional tours in connection with the conference will be available. More information on the tour information page.

Practical

information

Climate
Thanks to the Gulf Stream, Iceland has a mild temperate ocean climate, cool in the summer and surprisingly mild in the winter. During the mid-summer,

temperatures

generally

average

between

12°

and

15°

C

(50°-54°

F)

The

average

temperature

in

January,

the

coldest

month,

is

warmer

than

in

New

York

or

Vienna.

Iceland

is

among

the

most

pollution

free

countries.

During

the

summer

months

June

and

July

Icelanders

do

enjoy

almost

24

-

hour

daylight.

For

weather

forecast

in

Iceland,

the

Icelandic

Meteorological

Office

Currency exchange
The Icelandic monetary unit is the "króna."

Cash

can

be

obtained

against

most

common

cards

in

all

ATM

banks,

which

are

to

be

found

in

most

of

the

bigger

hotels

in

Reykjavík.

The

Icelandic

króna

is

appr.

112

USD

or

155

EUR.

For

exchange

rate,

Central

Bank

of

Iceland

Opening hours
General office hours are usually 09:00-16:00/

9:00

AM-4:00

PM

in

July.

Shopping

hours

are

Mon-Fri

09:00-18:00/

9:00

AM

-

6:00

PM,

Sat

from

10:00-14:00/

10:00

AM-2:00

PM.

Some

supermarkets

and

gas

stations

are

open

24/7.

Banking

hours

are

Mon-Fri

09:15-16:00/

9:00-4:00

PM

.

Time
Iceland is on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT),

New

York

-4,

Brussels

+2,

London

+1.

Tax

and

Tipping

Taxes

and

services

are

always

included

in

all

prices

for

restaurants,

hotels,

taxis

etc.

Tipping

is

not

customary

in

Iceland.

Duty

free

shopping/Tax

Free

shopping

Duty-free

goods

may

be

purchased

both

upon

arrival

and

departure

at

Keflavík

International

Airport.

A

refund

of

local

Value-Added

Tax

(VAT)

is

available

to

all

visitors

in

Iceland.

The

refund

will

result

in

a

reduction

of

up

to

15%

of

the

retail

price,

provided

departure

from

Iceland

is

within

3

months

after

the

date

of

purchase.

Electricity
The main voltage is 220volts, 50Hz. Appliance sockets are usually plugs with round pins.

Medical help
There is a medical centre or a hospital in all major cities and towns in Iceland. The emergency phone number (24 hours) in Iceland is 112.

Questions
If you need more information about your pre- or post-conference stay in Iceland, you can contact Iceland Congress by mail to info@icelandcongress.is