Skriðuklaustur brings two very different chapters of East Iceland history together in the quiet Fljótsdalur landscape: Gunnar Gunnarsson's distinctive twentieth-century home and the remains of a medieval monastery below it.
Culture snapshot
The turf-roofed, stone-patterned house was built in 1939 for Icelandic writer Gunnar Gunnarsson and designed by German architect Fritz Höger.
Gunnarsson and his family lived here before giving the property to the Icelandic nation in 1948. The house later became a centre for culture and history, and its unusual architecture is as important to the visit as the writer's story. It looks rooted in the valley, but it is a deliberate twentieth-century design rather than a surviving turf farmhouse.
Official history, exhibitions, events and current visitor information.
Regional context for Gunnarshús and the monastery site.
Low walls and paths mark the remains of an Augustinian monastery that operated here in the sixteenth century.
Archaeological work revealed a complex that included a church, living quarters and evidence of care for sick and poor people. The structures do not rise dramatically from the ground, so this is a place to read and imagine rather than simply photograph. The contrast with Gunnarshús above is what makes the site memorable: one small area carries stories separated by centuries.
Skriðuklaustur is easy to explore at a measured pace because Gunnarshús, the grounds and the ruins occupy one compact site.
The indoor experience depends on which exhibitions and services are available when you visit. Outside, the house, sculpture and monastery remains still explain the place when the cultural centre is closed. Most visitors who enjoy history will find about an hour useful; allow longer if you plan to eat, attend an event or spend time with the exhibitions.
Opening times, exhibitions, events and food service can change, so use the official site when any indoor part will determine whether you go.
The ruins and grounds can still be meaningful on their own, but the fuller visit is for people who want both the writer's house and the medieval story. Hengifoss offers the nearby walking objective, while Hallormsstaðaskógur adds forest paths and picnic areas. Egilsstaðir is the closest larger service base.
Operator page for hours, exhibitions, events and services.
Official information for the adjacent national-park visitor centre and the Snæfell area.
By ThorPublished Updated
