The Island in Reykjavík - Viðey Walking Tour [4K]

Viðey island is accessible from Reykjavík with a short boat ride. In this tour we sail to the island and walk around to explore it some more.

Information about the tour:
00:00 - Leaving the Old Harbour in Reykjavik with the Viðey ferry.
00:10 - Ægir, Icelandic coast guard ship.
00:40 - Already we see Viðey island. It only takes a few minutes to get to the island by ferry.
02:10 - Reykjavík harbour.
03:21 - The island has a rich bird life with about 30 species breeding here.
06:18 - Viðey was inhabited soon after the settlement of Iceland around 900 AD. In 1225 a monastery was founded on the island by Þorvaldur Gissurarson, with the assistance of scholar/chieftain Snorri Sturluson. As it was the first monastery in the southern quarter, it soon grew wealthy. Soon it became the second-richest monastery in Iceland, owning up to 116 estates. In 1539 the monastery came to a dramatic end when it was raided by Danish soldiers, when the Reformation was imposed
on the Icelandic church.
07:30 - Viðey House. Skúli Magnússon was the first Icelander to be Treasurer and for half a century he was one of the most powerful men in the country. He had Viðeyjarstofa (Viðey House) built as his official residence; it was completed in 1755.
08:53 - Viðey church. Built in 1774.
11:00 - For centuries Viðey island was regarded as one of the best estates in Iceland. The fields yielded large quantities of hay.
14:23 - The Imagine Peace Tower is a work of art conceived by the legendary artist, musician and peace advocate Yoko Ono as a beacon to world peace. The work is in the form of a wishing well, on which the words "Imagine Peace" are inscribed in 24 world languages. Out of the well emerges a strong, tall tower of light.
19:00 - Viðey island is about 1.6 km2 in total area, comprising Heimaey (Home Island) and Vesturey (West Island), which are linked by a narrow neck of lard or isthmus, called Eiðið. The easternmost part of Heimaey is known as Austurey (East Island).
21:30 - Two million years ago Viðey was an active volcano, which is known as the Viðey volcano, and the rock of Viðey island is the oldest in the Reykjavík area.
26:40 - Tóbakslaut. Here Skúli Magnússon tried to grow tobacco but with little success.
28:00 - Many of the oldest sources on Viðey island relate to its birdlife. Over the centuires, the eider colony on Viðey was an important resource, providing costly eider down.

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