Ólafsfjörður () is a town in the northeast of Iceland located at the mouth of the
fjord
In physical geography, a fjord or fiord () is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Alaska, Antarctica, British Columbia, Chile, Denmark, Förden and East Jutland Fjorde, Germany, ...
Eyjafjörður
Eyjafjörður (, ''Island Fjord'') is one of the longest fjords in Iceland. It is located in the central north of the country. Situated by the fjord is the country's fourth most populous municipality, Akureyri.
Physical geography
The fjord is ...
.
The town is connected to
Dalvík
Dalvík () is the main village of the Icelandic municipality of Dalvíkurbyggð. Its population is approximately 1,400. on Eyjafjörður by the 3.5 km one-lane Múli tunnel (the ''
Múlagöng'') and to
Siglufjörður by the 11 km
Héðinsfjörður Tunnels, opened in 2010. Fishing is the main industry in the town; several
trawlers make their home in the town's
harbor
A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is a ...
.
The municipalities of Ólafsfjörður and Siglufjörður merged in 2006 to form the municipality of
Fjallabyggð, which literally means ''Mountain Settlement''.
History
The town grew up around the
herring industry that was very strong in the 1940s and 1950s, but the herring are gone now. Ólafsfjörður attained municipal status (''kaupstaðurréttindi'') on 31 October 1944 . The number of inhabitants amounted to 192 in 1910, to 336 in 1920, to 559 in 1930, to 736 in 1940, to 947 in 1950, to 905 in 1960, to 1.086 in 1970 and to 1.181 in 1979. In 1989 the town had 1.191 inhabitants.
Ólafsfjörður was connected by road for the first time in 1940, when the horse trail through
Lágheiði was improved, enabling cars to cross the heath. Previously, ships, seaplanes, and horses provided the transport. The
Múlagöng or Ólafsfjarðargöng tunnel was opened on March 1, 1991 connecting Dalvík and Ólafsfjörður. It has a length of 3,400 m (11,155 ft).
On 2 October 2010 the Héðinsfjörður Tunnels opened, providing an all-year rapid connection to Siglufjörður.
Ólafsfjarðarkirkja , a comparatively large
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
church with 120 seats, was inaugurated in 1915.
Two thirds of the whole population of the town could be seated inside at that time. There is a sightworthy monument dedicated to drowned seamen in front of the church.
Economy
Tourism has become an important industry in Ólafsfjörður but it still relies heavily on its fishing industry and to name some of the fishing companies there are "norlandia ehf" that dries fish and exports them to
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
.
Sports
The town offers sports and activities for people of all ages. Some of its sports clubs are:
* Golf (Golfklúbbur Ólafsfjarðar)
* Equestrian (Hestamannafélagið Gýnari, Ólafsfirði)
* Football/Soccer (Knattspyrnufélag Fjallabyggðar)
* Skiing (Skíðafélag Ólafsfjarðar)
* Shooting (Skotfélag Ólafsfjarðar)
* Snowmobile (Vélsleðafélag Ólafsfjarðar)
The Ólafsfjörður swimming pool is heated, like all outdoor pools in Iceland, and is open all year round. There is a helical
water slide.
The Alpine facility in Tindaöxl is right above the town, and is open in the winter when there is enough snow. A lift takes people up the slopes.
References
External links
More information and photos about Ólafsfjörður on Hit Iceland
{{DEFAULTSORT:Olafsfjordur
Populated places in Northeastern Region (Iceland)