About Glaumbær
Glaumbær sits just off Route 75 near the village of Varmahlíð, about one hour west of Akureyri and four hours north of Reykjavík along the Ring Road. The complex consists of 13 interconnected turf buildings and two timber houses, set within a churchyard that has been a place of habitation and worship since the medieval period.
The turf buildings standing today were constructed between the mid-18th century and 1879. The farm itself has much older roots -- according to the sagas, Snorri Þorfinnsson farmed here in the 11th century, and a church dated to around 1030 has been excavated on the property. The turf farmhouse was last lived in by a farming family in 1947, after which it became a protected site.
The turf buildings
Turf construction was Iceland's primary building method for centuries, driven by the scarcity of timber and the need for insulation in a cold climate. The walls at Glaumbær are thick, with layers of turf laid over stone foundations and timber frames. The result is a structure that holds heat well and sits low against the landscape, with grass-covered roofs that blend into the surrounding terrain.
The 13 interconnected rooms at Glaumbær each served a specific function -- sleeping quarters, a kitchen, a pantry, a smithy, and storage rooms among them. The buildings are arranged in a row connected by a central passageway, a layout typical of larger Icelandic farms of the period. The interiors are furnished as they would have appeared when the farm was in use, giving a clear picture of how several generations of a family shared a confined and carefully organised space.
Guðríður Þorbjarnardóttir
The churchyard at Glaumbær contains a statue of Guðríður Þorbjarnardóttir, one of the most widely travelled figures in medieval Icelandic history. According to the sagas, she sailed from Iceland to Greenland and then to North America, where her son Snorri was born -- considered the first child of European parents born in the New World. She later made a pilgrimage on foot to Rome. Her son Snorri farmed at Glaumbær and built the first church on the site. The statue, by sculptor Ásmundur Sveinsson, stands in the churchyard alongside the turf buildings.
Visiting Glaumbær
The museum is open daily from late May to late September, with reduced hours in April, early May, and October. From late October through March it is generally closed, though visits can be arranged by contacting the Skagafjörður Heritage Museum in advance. Admission prices and current opening hours are listed on the official Glaumbær website.
The two timber houses on the site, Gilsstofa and Áshús, house a café and exhibition space. The café at Áshús is a practical stop for travellers passing through the Skagafjörður area on the Ring Road, and the surrounding churchyard and landscape are worth taking time to explore before or after the museum.
Glaumbær is a natural stop on Ring Road itineraries heading between Reykjavík and Akureyri. Most self-drive tours that follow the full Ring Road pass through the Skagafjörður area and allow time for a visit.
