Skálholt Cathedral
Skálholt Cathedral
4
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Skálholt is one of the most historic places in Iceland. The site is rich in culture and history and is a perfect stop for history buffs on the Golden Circle. Today Skálholt is a place of history, culture, spirituality, faith and music. Visitors are welcome all year round. The cathedral and museum is open from 9 am - 5 pm every day all year round. The restaurant is open from 10 am - 4 pm. The Cathedral is a beautiful building known for it's powerful altar piece made by Nína Tryggvadóttir and the spectacular glass stained windows bade by Gerður Helgadóttir. On a sunny day the windows cast a colorful light all around the chuch. The acoustics in the church are one of the best in the world and many concerts have been held there. Skálholt was a center for education, religion and administration for over than 700 years and a place of pilgrimage in medieval times. Due to it's rich history archaeological excavations have been made on the site.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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- AnSe1979De Pinte, Belgium324 contributionsWorth a visit.Beautiful cathedral on a historic site. There was a museum inside that you can visit for a fee. Due to lack of time we did not do this. Everything works according to the principle of honesty because there is no supervision anywhere whether you pay. You can also buy souvenirs according to the same principle. If you completed an online survey, you could take home a free souvenir. Very nice. There are toilets on site.Visited April 2024Travelled with familyWritten 22 April 2024
- jjlukeCalgary, Canada2,046 contributionsSomething different, something neatThere are tunnels underneath that were used to get to houses since the 11th century. There is also a little museum downstairs that gives a bit of insight into the church at the time. Also a sod roof house on site. Entrance fee of 500ISK paid by the honor system at the back of the main church before going downstairs. Great little find and worth spending time. Please indicate if you found this to be a helpful review :)Visited June 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 21 July 2024
- Steve wTorquay, United Kingdom19 contributionsVisit just for the mosaic of Jesus Christ. Stunning.The mosaic above the altar of Jesus is stunning ( we bought the fridge magnet!) And the stained glass is beautiful. Very helpful and chatty guide when we were there. Very quiet considering it is on golden circle. Had mushroom soup in the restaurant next door. Very nice.Visited August 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 30 August 2024
- Maria Solange OFarroupilha, RS31,216 contributionsCathedral in Selfoss!The Skálholt Cathedral is new, dating from 1963. The architecture is interesting, has spectacular glass windows and a museum with historical objects. To enter the museum you pay a small fee (500 ISK), but go if you have time left or interest in cathedrals, otherwise follow your way.Visited September 2024Travelled with familyWritten 2 October 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
257 reviews
Excellent
81
Very good
106
Average
60
Poor
9
Terrible
1
Niels L
Copenhagen, Denmark562 contributions
Feb 2019 • Friends
The church is rather modern and minimalsitic while the surrounding area is beautiful with historic excavations on the grounds, no crowds and relaxing time. Good to visit the bible collection next door.
Written 1 March 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
FredPurdue
Seattle, WA2,268 contributions
Aug 2010
The Sklaholt church is the eleventh one on this site since the eleventh century. It was the seat of the Catholic bishop until the Reformation in the sixteenth century and remained the Lutheran bishop's seat for 260 years until moved to the capital city. The current church was consecrated in 1963. There is a trail on the grounds that meanders through archaelogical sites. Or, if you like, sit in the chapel for quiet time.
Written 10 May 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kathleen M
120 contributions
Jun 2023 • Friends
This was so interesting! Great tour guides, and staff. The site was interactive and friendly. It was fascinating to learn the history
Written 6 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ulla L
10 contributions
May 2022 • Business
Stayed at a conference in Skalholt, restaurant was excellent with bread cooked at the hot spring for 24 hrs, herb soup, local delicatessen with a modern touch. Friendly and lovely staff
Written 9 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Simsim7
Norway560 contributions
Nov 2019
We drove down to this church as we thought it looked interesting. The church looks a bit more tired than in the pictures I had seen. The glass windows on the inside looks nice though.
This is not a stop to do if you're short on time. Make a visit if you have some extra time and think it looks interesting. No one else visited when we went there, so we had the whole place to ourselves.
This is not a stop to do if you're short on time. Make a visit if you have some extra time and think it looks interesting. No one else visited when we went there, so we had the whole place to ourselves.
Written 18 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yorkterrier01
York, UK2,599 contributions
Oct 2018 • Family
Whilst this is a modern church, its simplicity and design make it more impressive than first impressions might reveal.
It is also odd that it is a fairly isolated cathedral both in location and with respect to other buildings.
It is also odd that it is a fairly isolated cathedral both in location and with respect to other buildings.
Written 18 December 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Patricia N
Waukesha, WI67 contributions
Sept 2018 • Couples
Such a beautiful, interesting church. Interesting history behind it. A must see when you're on excursions. Peaceful and picturesque.
Written 29 September 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Simon G
Dublin, Ireland156 contributions
Aug 2018 • Couples
We stumbled across this while touring the area. Lovely, modern cathedral which was nice to visit (and we were lucky to be there for a rehearsal for one of the frequent concerts they seem to host), but the highlight was the exhibition of Icelandic bibles in the turf house next door. Really well presented with a very knowledgeable and friendly guide who spent a lot of time with us, explaining everything. They have a copy of every edition of the bible ever produced in Icelandic, starting in 1540. If you are interested in history and/or books this is a must!
Written 4 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sandy
Boston, MA34 contributions
Mar 2017 • Family
Very sweet church with an amazing history. Definitely visit. We went with a tour guide who told us about its history. Light a candle! Made the visit feel special!
Written 12 March 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
allsandy
Sarnia, Canada75 contributions
Sept 2016 • Couples
I did not know that this was an archaeological site that was determined to be the beginning settlement of Christianity in Iceland. That was cool. You can see the ruins from the original settlement. The church is huge, not sure who attends it, as the community is very small. Loved the turf house on the property, so unique! The views are amazing form the top of this hill and it is worth the drive to see.
Written 12 October 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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