Árbær Open Air Museum

Although Icelanders today boast of being at the forefront of technology, the wheel came surprisingly late to the country or not until the 19th century. From the settlement age until the 19th century, packsaddles were used in long-distance transport. In the shed at Árbæjarsafn, called Garðarstræti 9 after its original location, you can find the exhibition "The Wheel Age". There, the arrival of the cart and the changes that took place in the country at that time are reviewed. The Age of Carts possibly began when King Christian IX of Denmark gave Loftur Gíslason, a farmer in Vatnsnes, two bicycles for a job well done in land reclamation in 1874. The Age of Carts ended in 1913 when cars became more popular.

The Age of Carts

Even though the wheel is a ancient invention it arrived late to Iceland. Transport over long distances were in principle the same from the time of settlement to the 19th century, namely on horses