Skálholt Cathedral
Skálholt Cathedral
4
Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks • Religious Sites
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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 NÃna 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.
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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The area
Address
Best nearby
Restaurants
3 within 5 kms
See what other travellers are saying
- LaylaExmouth, United Kingdom6 contributionsA great stopThis makes a wonderful short stop. Beautiful views and space for children to roam. I’d really recommend it. There is a wonderful leaflet in English (by the door when you enter) that will give you some of the rich history of this place. The windows of the cathedral are modern stain glass and absolutely stunning. There is a museum in the crypt with some interesting artefacts and a secret tunnel (around the back of the church). Our children discovered this for themselves and felt very intrepid going down the tunnel and seeing where it led. There is a small entrance fee for the museum that is collected in a collection box, so worth having some coins with you to pay.Visited August 2023Travelled with familyWritten 11 August 2023
- Vicki D2 contributionsDelicious and Welcoming restaurantYou must visit this place- the owner , Gigi, of the restaurant is a generous, attentive and creative person. She and her family member have taken ownership fo this Cathedral restaurant and they are devoted and attentive. We had a group of 15 people- Merrie's friends and we were all pleased. 2 of the members of our group were vegetarian/vegan and those meals also were exquisite. All of our meals were artistically and Icelandic in display and cuisine. The chef's speciality was apparent in the taste and presentation- they were meals you don't want to end. Gigi and her staff were welcoming and offered excellent customer/guest care. The Cathedral is an intriguing historical setting with a cozy guesthouse. Even if you spend the day there you Must enjoy a meal with Gigi.Visited September 2021Written 22 September 2021
- EdwelshNorth Canton, Ohio4,647 contributionsHistoricThis quaint cathedral in the tiny village of Skálholt, considered to be Iceland's first town, is a gem. Gorgeous church in a amazing setting, with a history museum in the basement is definitely worth a visit. Just reading the names and dates on the walls was fascinating, but then to read the stories of how these people moved these huge burial stones 30 miles over the land in winter by hand. Wow! Right next door is a hotel with easy access to restrooms.Visited October 2022Travelled as a coupleWritten 8 October 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.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
252 reviews
Excellent
78
Very good
105
Average
59
Poor
9
Terrible
1
O5237VEjanec
Norwich, UK26 contributions
May 2019
The cathedral and other buildings look great against the skyline as you approach. The interior is rather beautiful too. I would have liked to have tried the cafe too but it wasn't open.
Written 1 April 2020
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.
BillfromKent
Orpington, UK78 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
The site has an amazing history and an incredible feeling of peace and calm. We were lucky to find the place virtually deserted, but the size of the car park indicated it could get very busy sometimes!
The cathedral itself is a bit scruffy and there are no tourist facilities so don’t expect to much. However, if you strike lucky and have the place to yourself, you may find it as magical as we did.
The cathedral itself is a bit scruffy and there are no tourist facilities so don’t expect to much. However, if you strike lucky and have the place to yourself, you may find it as magical as we did.
Written 22 February 2020
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
Norway573 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.
O around the world
United States65 contributions
Sep 2019
We would not return to this site, and would not include it on our itinerary if we had to do our trip over again.
We rented a car and saw amazing places all over Iceland.
However, this site was to us uninteresting and our time and fuel would have been better spent elsewhere on the myriad of things to do in this amazing country.
All due respect to this location. It's a lovely site. It just can't compete with the natural wonders of Iceland.
We rented a car and saw amazing places all over Iceland.
However, this site was to us uninteresting and our time and fuel would have been better spent elsewhere on the myriad of things to do in this amazing country.
All due respect to this location. It's a lovely site. It just can't compete with the natural wonders of Iceland.
Written 23 September 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.
HalfManHalfTitanium
30 contributions
Aug 2019
We went to the church at Skalholt for one of their summer concerts, including baroque and contemporary music. It was an amazing experience.
Written 22 August 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.
jkskel
Denver, CO11 contributions
Jun 2019 • Family
We came upon this cathedral after going to the Secret Lagoon. To one side there is a big archeological dig. It is worth stopping by to see and take some photos.
Written 3 July 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.
Maria C
38 contributions
Jun 2019 • Family
We did a short stop at Skalholt Cathedral - an important historic site. We didn't stay long, but we had a nice walk around and it's pretty cathedral with equally pretty views. We were the only ones there, so it's not a busy stop.
Written 1 July 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.
Tricia O
Hilliard, OH338 contributions
Feb 2019 • Couples
We seemed to be the only visitors one Sunday afternoon. Tried the door and it was surprisingly open. They asked for a donation to see the basement crypt so be sure you have a few Icelandic coins on you to drop in the box. Below there are a few exhibits, a crypt of priest, secret passage way to the outside, etc. Definitely interesting and not something you see everyday. Walk around to the back and see the small cemetery with some recent graves.
Written 16 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.
Niels L
Copenhagen, Denmark616 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.
Dave E
Richmond, VA82 contributions
Feb 2019 • Couples
The Cathedral at Skálholt is another example of the simple beauty of Icelandic church architecture. Compared with the crowds at the Hallgrimskirkja, Skalholt is much more quiet and offers an ideal opportunity for contemplation. The stained glass windows are magnificent in the setting Winter sun, dappling the sanctuary and nave with the most vibrant colors. The historic pulpit is clad in iconographic painted images of Bible stories. The crypt museum is also very informative, relating the conversion of Iceland to Christianity and its Reformation. The recreated turf church is also interesting.
Written 17 February 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.
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