Discovering the Best of Reykjavik’s Art Murals and More

Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland may be smaller than many of Europe’s other grand capital cities, but what it lacks in metropolitan size is what makes this city a magical place to discover.

Some have described Reykjavik as a city with the charm of a quaint seaside village with a natural unspoiled ruggedness perched on the edge of civilization. While that is true, Reykjavik is also a city where the colorful buildings, art murals, and unique museums blend to form a hip artic vibe. Reykjavik is a city that has the soul of an artist and alive with breath of brilliant colors.

Prior to my travels, I knew that this city featured brightly colored houses and buildings, but I was not prepared for just how colorful its historic city center would actually be. The red, blue, turquoise, and even black painted buildings seemed to create a magical energy that even in the darkest days of winter would illuminate this city in artistic wonder. What also surprised me was amount of dazzling street art murals often found in larger cities around the world. Yes, Reykjavik, I fell madly in love with you at first sight.

The art scene in Reykjavik has an authentic folksy flair with a bit of whimsy woven into it. From quirky and traditional museums, unique architecture, and the vast amount of street art murals, you may end up feeling like you’ve entered into an artic version of Alice in Wonderland.

The heart of Reykjavik is compact, which gives visitors the ability to see a lot in a short amount of time. Here’s a sneak peak of the highlights that showcase this artfully vibrant city.

Colorful Buildings

This city is awash in color, from traditional brightly painted houses in reds, blues, and blacks to facades adorned with creative murals, the homes and buildings of Reykjavik are sure to make you feel like you are in a technicolor wonderland. The best of the best are located on Laugavegur and the surrounding side streets.

Incredible Art Murals

Reykjavik at times can seem like one giant open air museum with art murals adorning walls and many buildings around the areas of Laugavegur and Grandi Harbour. Spend an afternoon searching for the city’s best murals.

Reykjavik’s Museums

This city has many unique museums ranging from the history of Iceland to a collection of penises from various animal species. However, the art and music lover, should plan to visit the Reykjavik Museum of Photography, the Reykjavik Art Museum, and the Icelandic Punk Museum (housed in a former public restroom).

Quirky Public Art

Besides the beautiful art murals, Reykjavik’s street art can be found throughout the city in the form of tulip topped street signs and various painted statues.

Street Performers

If you happen to visit during the early part of July, the Reykjavik Fringe Festival will have you marveling (or scratching your head) as artists of all art forms take to the streets in pop up performances. On our trip, we were treated to a mob of costumed dancers who delighted the crowd on Laugavegur Street.

For such a small city, Reykjavik’s collection of art murals, public art pieces, brightly colored buildings, and art museums is impressive and something to be enjoyed when you visit this magical city.

Did you enjoy our pictures of colorful Reykjavik? If you’ve visited this amazing city, drop a comment below with what your favorite artsy thing to do was. Please remember to “Like”, “Tweet”, “Pin”, “Link”, or “Share” this with your friends.