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Skálholt - A farm and a church - South West Iceland

By road no. 31,

Region: South West

GPS: N64°07.553 W20°31.391

Opening Hours:
Every weekday there are morning prayers at 9 o´ clock and evening prayers at 21 o´clock.

Messes are held most Sundays at 11 o´clock. During summertime the messes are often held at 17 o´clock on Sundays.

About: (Description)
Skálholt, a farm and a church, the seat of bishops 1056-1796, a school after the Reformation and intermittently in Catholic times.

A printing press was operated there for several years. Many historical events are connected with Skálholt, such as the execution of the last Catholic bishop, Jón Arason, along with two of his sons in 1550. A memorial has been erected on the spot where Jón Arason was beheaded.

A new cathedral has been built and decorated with important works by Icelandic artists. A tomb of the bishops and a related museum is there, and a large collection of books is preserved in the tower.

Concerts every week-end in summer. A summer camp for children is run by the State Church.

The first settler at Skálholt was Teitur Ketilbjarnarson, the father of Gissur hvíti.

How to get there:
Drive road no. 1 from Selfoss until exit to road no. 30 direction Flúðir. You drive by road no. 30 until exit to road no. 31 to Laugarás and Skálholt. Skálholt is located about 12 km from that exit.

source Iceland Road Atlas

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