Iceland has a lot of quirky little churches, and the diversity is immense: some are cute and cosy, some look like spaceship that are primed for take off. There are at least 1000 churches in Iceland, so for this little list we have chosen our 6 favourites. We decided to exclude Hallgrimskirkja, the central Lutheran church in Reykjavik, because that would make it too easy. Here are 6 others that you should try to get around and see.

Budirkirkja

This one might be almost as famous as Hallgrimskirkja, this little black church is set against the backdrop of the Snaefellsnes peninsula, amidst the raging sea of the coastline is a charming little church that is a very popular location for destination weddings.

Stykkishólmskirkja

This one is also in Snæfellnes, although on the north side. In the little town of Stykkisholmur, perched slightly above the rest of the town, you will find possible the most spaceship-like of all the Icelandic churches, and really stands out against the landscape, it’s actually quite jarring. Consecrated in 1980, it is also used as a concert venue.

Eyrarkirkja “the church of the spit"

Tucked away deep in the Westfjords, near the town of Sudavík, itself not far from Ísafjordur, you will find an Icelandic church that was built in 1843 with many of the original furnishings and decorations still inside, even a heater that is now rusted through and through. Imagine how many congregations in times past were warmed by that heater!

Akureyrarkirkja

Perched high on a hill, at the end of quite a tall staircase is the northern equivalent to Hallgrímskirkja. It has a large 3200-pipe organ and a suspended ship hanging from the ceiling. This reflects an old Nordic tradition of giving offerings for the protection of loved ones at sea.

Seyðisfjarðarkirkja

The charming village of Seyðisfjörður in the Eastfjords of Iceland is possibly one of the most picturesque villages in the entire country, and many artists come here for summer residencies. Although you won’t find anything great like Hallgrímskirkja, the church is possibly the bluest of all of the Icelandic churches.

Mosfellskirkja

Angles, highly modern and very, very pointy, possibly the pointiest of all the Icelandic churches, Mosfellskirkja is not far from Reykjavik and is an architectural treat; don’t miss out on your way out of town!

Love a church? tell us!

On your way out to see any one of the 6 churches listed above, you will likely bump into countless others, and that’s exactly the point! If you get the chance and you have the time, make sure you stop in: each Icelandic church has tis own quirks. Do you have a church that you visited once before that you absolutely loved that we didn’t mention? Get in touch with us and tell us about it, we would love to hear from you!