Reasons Why You Should Live In Reykjavik At Some Point In Your Life

Iceland is a fascinating place – culturally, historically and geographically – both as a visitor and as a resident, but the experience will be quite different if you choose to make it your home. If you can bear the long winters and the high rents, here are some of the best reasons to learn a few lines of Icelandic and start your adventure on this North Atlantic island.

Live in a progressive society

While the popularity of recent female empowerment movements such as #FreeTheNipple and SlutWalk have been extremely popular in Iceland, this tiny island has had a long and surprisingly radical women’s rights agenda. In 1850, Iceland became the first country to grant unconditional equal inheritance rights to men and women. Not long after that, women got the right to vote, in 1915, five years before women in the United States.

Inspiring landscape scenes

Historically unique

Iceland is unique in celebrating its native culture. In June each year, the Viking Village in Hafnarfjörður, the neighbouring town to Reykjavik, hosts the Viking Festival. This week-long event is a step back in time as most visitors are in full Viking costume, perfect for LARP enthusiasts. It features live battle scene reenactments by actors, storytellers sharing tales from the Icelandic sagas, workshops on how to make your own Viking-era crafts (such as spears) and activities such as axe throwing and bow shooting.

Abundant cultural activities

For such a small population – around 330,000 inhabitants – Iceland’s creative impact on the world has had a surprisingly profound influence; considering how isolated the country is both culturally and geographically, this makes the creativity it displays even more significant. In fact, creative industries in Iceland employ a larger proportion of the population than the fishing and agriculture industries combined, and, in turn, generate a larger percentage of the country’s GDP.

Plenty of nightlife

Iceland has a lot of nightlife to discover, both in the capital of Reykjavik and beyond. No matter what you decide to do during your visit, having a drink at one of Reykjavik’s many fun bars should definitely be on the list. Many of the bars in Reykjavik have their own unique atmosphere, with all kinds of events taking place throughout the week; there is also an abundance of quiet, relaxed places.

Pick up a new language

The North Germanic language spoken by the 330,000 native speakers is notoriously difficult to grasp, and rather strange-sounding to outsiders. However, the Icelandic language is a source of national pride, and Icelanders take great care in ensuring that it sustains itself, though younger generations speak Icelandic with many loan words from English. Living in Iceland, the only place in the world where Icelandic is spoken, would definitely be a unique experience and enable full immersion into this rare language.

A typical Icelandic tongue-twister street name

Outdoor activities

Iceland is one of the rare places on earth where glaciers are abundant, making up 11% of its land surface, and there is ample access for hiking along the glaciers’ crevasses and walls. The immense beauty and force of this natural feature will become apparent on a glacier hike with guides who can advise you on traversing the ridges safely. There is also an abundance of other hiking trails in Iceland, as well as horse riding, skiing and fishing – no matter the season, there is always a way to enjoy the island’s nature.

Sólheimajökull glacier, Iceland, March 2015

Burgeoning foodie scene

Iceland’s cuisine has made several great strides over the past few centuries and has moved on from basic preparations of lamb, whale, puffin and cod. With no big shoes to fill in terms of gastronomy, unlike some other European countries, chefs are free to be their own creative masters. Thanks to the combination of artisanal ingredients with a bit of tradition and all kinds of global twists, the island now boasts a buzzing food scene.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.