Grafarkirkja

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A little off the beaten tourist path, what is probably Iceland’s oldest free-standing building is almost hidden in a fantastic setting.

The trail of history

The Grafarkirkja turf church is probably the oldest free-standing building in Iceland. Parts of the building date from the 17th century, probably built at the instigation of Gísli Þorláksson, who was Bishop of Hólar from 1657 to 1684. The church belongs to the Gröf farm in Höfðaströnd in northern Iceland, which used to be one of the largest farms in Skagafjörður. The oldest account of Gröf dates from around 1240, which can be found in the Sturlunga Saga, a collection of Icelandic sagas from the 12th and 13th centuries. It can therefore be assumed that today’s Grafarkirkja was built in place of an older church building.

By order of the Danish king, whose kingdom Iceland was part of at the time, it was no longer used for church services from 1765 and was scheduled to be demolished, but it was preserved and used as a storage room by the residents of Gröf. This alternative use probably saved the small peat church from complete decay. However, the building was in very poor condition when it was purchased and finally restored in 1939 by Þjóðminjasafn Íslands – the National Museum of Iceland. It was not until 1950 that the original restoration began and in 1953 Grafarkirkja was consecrated a church again by the Bishop of Iceland. After further restoration work in 2011, the interior of the chapel is no longer available to the public in order to preserve its condition for as long as possible

Even if visitors are not allowed inside Grafarkirkja, it is still worth a trip because not only the history but also the Icelandic landscape are inspiring. It is located in the middle of a valley entrance near the coast and offers plenty of beautiful photo opportunities in every direction.

Useful information

Grafarkirkja is a few hundred meters from the road. The way there leads along a short gravel road and across a section of meadow.
The access road is blocked by a gate that must be pushed aside and then closed again. There is a small gravel parking lot just behind the gate at the end of the gravel road.

How to get there?

To get to Grafarkirkja you have to leave the ring road at Varmahlíð and turn onto road 76 (Siglufjarðarvegur). From the junction it is only about 40 kilometers following the road to get to the destination.

Conclusion:

Grafarkirkja is definitely a place worth seeing. It is embedded in one of the most beautiful Icelandic landscapes and offers many photo opportunities.
However, you shouldn’t expect too much from the building itself as the interior is closed to the public. So as a visitor you have to be content with the beautiful exterior and let the landscape work its magic on you.