When is Vidimyrarkirkja open?

From June 1 to August 31, daily except Mondays, from noon to 5:00 pm (2026 season). Admission is 1,100 ISK (about $9), children under 18 get in free, and a combined ticket with Glaumbaer costs 2,600 ISK (about $22). Groups can book a visit at other times through the Skagafjörður Heritage Museum.

What is special about Vidimyrarkirkja?

It is one of Iceland's few surviving traditional turf churches, built in 1834 by Jón Samsonarson. Inside, there is a decorative screen between the choir and the nave, an altarpiece from 1616 and a 17th-century pulpit.

Vidimyrarkirkja - Iceland's Turf Church from 1834

Q: Where is Vidimyrarkirkja?

In North Iceland, just off Road 1 near the junction with Road 75 and the village of Varmahlíð - about 100 km (60 miles) west of Akureyri and about 300 km (190 miles) northeast of Reykjavik. Turn at the signpost and drive about 300 m (1,000 ft) south.

Vidimyrarkirkja Church (Víðimýrarkirkja) is one of Iceland’s few surviving traditional turf churches. It stands at the Vidimyri farm (Víðimýri), near the village of Varmahlíð in North Iceland.

Architecture of Vidimyrarkirkja

The church was built in 1834 by Jón Samsonarson, a carpenter and member of the Althing (the Icelandic parliament). Its side walls and roof are covered with turf, while the front and back are wooden gables. Inside, the timber frame is lined with unvarnished paneling.

Inside, the eye is drawn to a decorative screen separating the choir from the nave. In front of the choir door, on the north side, there is an enclosed pew with carved, painted posts and classical motifs, just as beautiful as the screen. Next to the church lies an old cemetery with a beautiful view over the valley.

The altarpiece from 1616 shows the Last Supper, and the 17th-century pulpit is painted with Christ and the Evangelists. The pews still follow the post-Reformation order: men on the south side, women on the north – source: the National Museum of Iceland.

Víðimýrarkirkja – tips and practical information

Although the church has been in the care of the National Museum of Iceland since 1936, it is still used as a Lutheran parish church.
Vidimyrarkirkja is open to visitors from June 1 to August 31, daily except Mondays, from noon to 5:00 pm; admission is 1,100 ISK (about $9), children under 18 get in free, and a combined ticket with Glaumbaer Farm costs 2,600 ISK (about $22) – Skagafjörður Heritage Museum (in Icelandic), 2026 season. Groups can book a visit at other times by calling the museum at 453 6173 at least two days in advance.
Near Varmahlíð, you can also see the Reykjafoss waterfall and the open-air museum at Glaumbaer Farm.
A very similar turf church, built in 1842 at Silfrastaðir in the same Skagafjörður region, can be seen in Reykjavik at the Arbaer Open Air Museum – it was rebuilt there in 1960-1961 (source in Icelandic).

How to get to Vidimyrarkirkja

Víðimýrarkirkja is located in North Iceland, just off Road 1 (turn at the signpost and drive about 300 m (1,000 ft) south), near the junction with Road 75, about 100 km (60 miles) west of Akureyri and about 300 km (190 miles) northeast of Reykjavik.

It’s definitely worth a stop if you’re driving Road 1 around the island.