Aðalstræti

Many interesting buildings stood on Aðalstræti, as the visitor will see on a model of the old town centre (Kvosin) as it was in 1906. 
The exhibition highlights various aspects of Reykjavík history and the daily life of the townspeople over the centuries. The older part of the exhibition, which opened in 2006, was originally named The Settlement Exhibition 871+/-2 , and later The Settlement Exhibition – Step into the Viking Age. It tells the story of the settlement of Reykjavík based upon archaeological research. The focus of the exhibition is the site of a 10th-century longhouse, uncovered during excavations on the corner of Aðalstræti and Túngata in preparation for construction on the site. 

The exhibition highlights various aspects of Reykjavík history and the daily life of the townspeople over the centuries. 

Using cutting-edge technology, the longhouse was preserved in situ beneath the new building.  The longhouse was inhabited from about 930 to 1000 AD. To the north of the longhouse site, a fragment of an even older wall was excavated. It dates from around 871, at the earliest stage of the Norse settlement. It is the oldest known relic of human habitation in Iceland. Using multimedia technology, the Settlement Exhibition provides insight into the structure of Viking-Age buildings, and enables the visitor to look inside the longhouse and imagine the life of its inhabitants. The exhibition space gives an impression of what Reykjavík looked like when the settlers arrived. Archaeological finds from old Reykjavík are also on display. 

In the spring of 2022 an addition to the exhibition opened next door in Aðalstræti 10. Here the history of Reykjavík is traced from the settlement in the ninth century until the present day. Aðalstræti 10 is steeped in history: the building, one of the oldest in Reykjavík, was built in 1762 as part of the Innréttingar (New Enterprises), an attempt to introduce modern industry to Iceland. The New Enterprises marked the beginning of urban development at Reykjavík.  The house was later the residence of Bishop Geir Vídalín, who is commemorated in the Bishop‘s Study. 

Aðalstræti 10 is steeped in history: the building, one of the oldest in Reykjavík, was built in 1762 as part of the Innréttingar (New Enterprises), an attempt to introduce modern industry to Iceland. The New Enterprises marked the beginning of urban development at Reykjavík.  

The building housed the Silli and Valdi grocery store 1927-1975, and the old shop has been recreated here, along with many other aspects of Reykjavík history.

Join us for a stroll along Aðalstræti in time and space, to encounter Reykjavík people in past and present. 

The Set­tle­ment Ex­hib­i­tion - Step into the Vik­ing Age

The Settlement Exhibition - Step into the Viking Age