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Eskifjörður |
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A picture of
Eskifjörður |
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Interesting things in Eskifjörður
- The maritime museum is located in a beautiful former store built
in 1816. A number of interesting articles show the relation of Icelanders to the sea.
- In only a ten minutes drive from Eskifjörður you can find the
Helgustaðanáma, the best known source of Icelandic spar in the world.
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Eskifjörður
(Eskifjord) lies on he shore of the fjord of the same name. Typical of most coastal
communities, Eskifjörður largely depends on fisheries, but the biggest local freezing
plant is unusual in at least one respect - its walls are adorned with murals by the
Catalan-born painter Baltazar. There is one company which produces dried fish,a
traditional delicacy which is popular among turists.
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| The maritime museum in Eskifjörður
displays numerous artefacts depicting the way of life in times gone by. Just outside town
is Helgustaðarnáma, once one of the largest mines for Icelandic spar in the world. The
cape separating the Eskifjörður fjord from Reyðarfjörður, Hólmanes, is renowned for
its beautiful landscape, varied vegetation and bird life, particular on the southern part
of the cape. Hólmanes is now a protected area. The peak Hólmatindur rises 985 meters up
from Cape Hólmanes. Admired by local people for its beauty, the mountain nonetheless has
a "darker side," since it considerably reduces the amount of sunshine in the
town from September to April. Eskifjörður acquired municipal status in 1974. |
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