The build up to the Síldarævintýrið, or The Great Herring Adventure in Siglufjörður town starts a week before the first weekend of August, with various activities in the town. The offfical festival kicks of on Friday August 1st and last until the Monday 4th.
Now, while the name may make it sound like the town will be covered in herring, that’s not the reality. The festival does, however, build on the fact that herring was the first fish Icelanders caught and exported. In 1969, the herring vanished due to over-fishing, which meant that families in small towns across the country had lost their main source of income. It took the herring population 27-years to recover. With the herring population doing fine, the Great Herring Adventure continues, and is celebrated in the town of Siglufjörður every year.
The town is the home to the fantastic Herring Era Museum covering this turbulent times in the history of Iceland.
The weekend is packed with entertainment for the whole family, and camping-sites and guesthouses are available for guests in the town. For a break from all the herring, Siglufjörður is home to a beautiful golf-course that will be open over the weekend for those who want to enjoy some midnight-sun (or daytime) golfing.
The build up to the Síldarævintýrið, or The Great Herring Adventure in Siglufjörður town starts a week before the first weekend of August, with various activities in the town. The offfical festival kicks of on Friday August 1st and last until the Monday 4th.
Now, while the name may make it sound like the town will be covered in herring, that’s not the reality. The festival does, however, build on the fact that herring was the first fish Icelanders caught and exported. In 1969, the herring vanished due to over-fishing, which meant that families in small towns across the country had lost their main source of income. It took the herring population 27-years to recover. With the herring population doing fine, the Great Herring Adventure continues, and is celebrated in the town of Siglufjörður every year.
The town is the home to the fantastic Herring Era Museum covering this turbulent times in the history of Iceland.
The weekend is packed with entertainment for the whole family, and camping-sites and guesthouses are available for guests in the town. For a break from all the herring, Siglufjörður is home to a beautiful golf-course that will be open over the weekend for those who want to enjoy some midnight-sun (or daytime) golfing.
